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 § 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) 1, 2, and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jun et al. (German Patent Publication DE102008056757A1, “Jun”) in view Choi et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0253746, “Choi”).
Regarding claim 1, Jun discloses a method (figs 2-5), the method comprising:
executing, by a control unit (224) of the vehicle, a heating mode to operate a water heater (see ¶0001-0002) for indoor heating according to a driver's input command;
collecting, by the control unit, power consumption-related information according to the heating mode (¶0011); and
generating energy efficiency information indicating maximum savable power consumption using the power consumption-related information (in the case of the PWM duty cycle being lower than the set point, see ¶0023).
However, Jun does not explicitly disclose transmitting, by the control unit, the power consumption-related information to a management server communicatively connected to the control unit or wherein the generation of the energy efficiency information is by the management server and is feedback to the control unit of the vehicle. Choi, however, discloses a method which comprises transmitting, by a control unit, a power consumption-related information to a management server communicatively connected to a control unit or wherein the generation of energy efficiency information is by the management server and is feedback to the control unit of a vehicle (¶0182). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Jun to transmit and receive the power information such as taught by Choi in order to allow for factors such as weather to incorporated into the calculations (see ¶0013-0018 of Choi).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Jun and Choi discloses all previous claim limitations. Jun further discloses wherein the maximum savable power consumption is a result of comparison between actual heating power consumption consumed while the vehicle travels actually and optimal use power consumption indicating a predicted power consumption value (in the case of the PWM duty cycle being lower than the set point, see ¶0023).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Jun and Choi discloses all previous claim limitations. Jun does not explicitly disclose wherein the power consumption-related information is a form of an in-vehicle communication message. However, the Examiner takes Official Notice that it is old and well known in the art of vehicles to provide power consumption-related information is a form of an in-vehicle communication message in order to inform the user and it would have been obvious for Jun, as modified, to do so.
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Jun and Choi discloses all previous claim limitations. Jun does not explicitly disclose wherein the feedbacking includes outputting the energy efficiency information on a display unit in combination of texts, voices, and graphics. However, the Examiner takes Official Notice that it is old and well known in the art of information transmission to provide formation on a display unit in combination of texts, voices, and graphics to inform the use and it would have been obvious for Jun, as modified, to do so.
Regarding claim 14, Jun discloses a method (figs 2-5, the method comprising:
executing, by a control unit (224) of the vehicle, a heating mode to operate a water heater (¶0001-0002) for indoor heating according to a driver's input command;
collecting, by the control unit, power consumption-related information according to the heating mode (¶0011); and
generating energy efficiency information indicating a maximum savable power consumption using the power consumption-related information and feedbacking the energy efficiency information to the control unit of the vehicle (in the case of the PWM duty cycle being lower than the set point, see ¶0023),
However, Jun does not explicitly disclose transmitting, by the control unit, the power consumption-related information to a management server communicatively connected to the control unit or wherein the generation of the energy efficiency information is by the management server and is feedback to the control unit of the vehicle. Choi, however, discloses a method which comprises transmitting, by a control unit, a power consumption-related information to a management server communicatively connected to a control unit or wherein the generation of energy efficiency information is by the management server and is feedback to the control unit of a vehicle (¶0182). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Jun to transmit and receive the power information such as taught by Choi in order to allow for factors such as weather to incorporated into the calculations (see ¶0013-0018 of Choi).
However, Jun, as modified, does not explicitly disclose wherein the executing of the heating mode includes, in a state that operation buttons configured for operating one or more water heaters and a heat pump provided in the vehicle are configured separately, providing, by the control unit, a guidance message which allows the heat pump to operate together in response that the one or more water heaters is operated in the heating mode. However, the Examiner takes Official Notice that it is old and well known to provides buttons to control the climate within the vehicle and to have a heat pump operate in conjunction with water heaters and it would have been obvious for Jun, as modified, to do so in order to provide optimal climate control.
Claim(s) 3, 4, 11, and 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jun et al. (German Patent Publication DE102008056757A1, “Jun”) in view Choi et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0253746, “Choi”) and in further view of Yoshida et al. (Japanese Patent Publication JP2012131319A, “Yoshida”).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Jun and Choi discloses all previous claim limitations. Jun further discloses wherein the optimal use power consumption is determined only in case of using an auto mode (when the vehicle is in operation),
However, they do not explicitly disclose wherein at least one of one or more water heaters are disposed on an internal floor (¶0023) of the vehicle and a heat pump disposed on a roof of the vehicle. Yoshida, however, discloses a vehicle (figs 1-4) with water heaters (21) disposed on an internal floor (¶0023) of the vehicle and a heat pump (“cooling unit” and compressor”, ¶0002) disposed on a roof of the vehicle (¶0002). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Jun, as modified, to provide the method of providing the heat power information in the vehicle of Yoshida in order to provide the optimal power usage for the vehicle.
However, they do not explicitly disclose during the auto mode at least one of one or more water heaters disposed on an internal floor of the vehicle and a heat pump disposed on a roof of the vehicle is automatically turned on or off according to a preset algorithm. However, the Examiner takes Official Notice that it is old and well known to have heaters and heat pumps turned on and off according to a preset algorithm, for example when the air temperature is above or below a set point, and it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Jun, as modified, to provide such an algorithm in order to maintain a desired temperature.
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Jun, Choi, and Yoshida discloses all previous claim limitations. Jun further discloses wherein the power consumption-related information includes actual heating power consumption (“calculated consumption current”, ¶0023) indicating an actual power use value according to the heating mode, information indicating ON/OFF of the auto mode (i.e. when the vehicle is use), and information indicating a manual mode in which the auto mode is not used (i.e. when the vehicle is not in use).
Regarding claim 11 the combination of Jun, Choi, and Yoshida discloses all previous claim limitations. Jun, as modified, further discloses wherein in response that operation buttons configured for operating the one or more water heaters and the heat pump provided in the vehicle are connected, the heat pump is operated by being connected automatically in response that the one or more water heaters are operated in the heating mode (as the vehicle would have buttons to allow for control of the heating of the vehicle).
Regarding claim 15, Jun discloses a system (figs 2-5) the system comprising:
a heating system including:
a control unit (224) for controlling a heating mode to operate a water heater block (see ¶0001-0002),
the water heater block for heating a passenger compartment of the vehicle,
a main driving unit (300) operatively connected to the water heater block for operating the water heater block,
wherein the control unit operatively connected to the main driving unit, the pump driving unit and the air conditioner is configured to:
execute the heating mode according to a driver's input command (as there would be set point provided by the user);
collect power consumption-related information according to the heating mode;
generate, energy efficiency information indicating maximum savable power consumption using the power consumption-related information.
However, Jun does not explicitly disclose transmitting, by the control unit, the power consumption-related information to a management server communicatively connected to the control unit or wherein the generation of the energy efficiency information is by the management server and is feedback to the control unit of the vehicle. Choi, however, discloses a method which comprises transmitting, by a control unit, a power consumption-related information to a management server communicatively connected to a control unit or wherein the generation of energy efficiency information is by the management server and is feedback to the control unit of a vehicle (¶0182). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Jun to transmit and receive the power information such as taught by Choi in order to allow for factors such as weather to incorporated into the calculations (see ¶0013-0018 of Choi).
Jun, as modified, does not explicitly disclose a heat pump mounted on a roof of the vehicle, a pump driving unit operatively connected to the heat pump for operating the heat pump, and an air conditioner for controlling temperature, humidity and cleanliness of air in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Yoshida, however, discloses a vehicle (figs 1-4) with water heaters (21) disposed on an internal floor (¶0023) of the vehicle and a heat pump (“cooling unit” and compressor”, ¶0002) disposed on a roof of the vehicle (¶0002). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Jun, as modified, to provide the method of providing the heat power information in the vehicle of Yoshida in order to provide the optimal power usage for the vehicle.
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Jun, Choi, and Yoshida discloses all previous claim limitations. Jun, as modified, further discloses wherein the maximum savable power consumption is determined based on optimal use power consumption indicating a predicted power consumption value in the case of the PWM duty cycle being lower than the set point, see ¶0023), and
wherein the optimal use power consumption is determined only in case of using an auto mode (i.e. when the vehicle is in use) in which at least one of one or more water heaters (21, Yoshida) disposed on an internal floor of the vehicle and a heat pump (“cooling unit” and compressor”, ¶0002) disposed on a roof of the vehicle.
However, they do not explicitly disclose during the auto mode at least one of one or more water heaters disposed on an internal floor of the vehicle and a heat pump disposed on a roof of the vehicle is automatically turned on or off according to a preset algorithm. However, the Examiner takes Official Notice that it is old and well known to have heaters and heat pumps turned on and off according to a preset algorithm, for example when the air temperature is above or below a set point, and it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Jun, as modified, to provide such an algorithm in order to maintain a desired temperature.
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Jun, Choi, and Yoshida discloses all previous claim limitations. Jun further discloses wherein the power consumption-related information includes actual heating power consumption (“calculated consumption current”, ¶0023) indicating an actual power use value according to the heating mode, information indicating ON/OFF of the auto mode (i.e. when the vehicle is use), and information indicating a manual mode in which the auto mode is not used (i.e. when the vehicle is not in use).
Claim(s) 9 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jun, Choi, and Yoshida as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Fukuda et al. (U.S. Patent Publication 2020/0017096, “Fukuda”).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Jun, Choi, and Yoshida discloses all previous claim limitations. However, they do not explicitly disclose wherein the actual heating power consumption is determined using an area of a quadrangle formed between an x-axis indicating a time and a y-axis indicating power consumption in a graph extracted from the power consumption-related information. Fukuda, however, discloses a method for determined power consumption of a vehicle wherein the actual power consumption is determined using an area of a quadrangle formed between an x-axis indicating a time and a y-axis indicating power consumption in a graph extracted from the power consumption-related information (see fig 5-5, ¶0053). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Jun, as modified, to use the graph/area technique of Fukuda to determine the power used by the heater in order to provide accurate information.
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Jun, Choi, Yoshida, and Fukuda discloses all previous claim limitations. Jun, as modified, does not explicitly disclose wherein the actual heating power consumption is a sum of a power consumption of a water heater determined by an area of the quadrangle and the power consumption of the heat pump. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill that all heating elements would be added together to determine the actual heat power consumption.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8 and 18-20 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 and the 112b rejections provided above are overcome.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY E ARANT whose telephone number is (571)272-1105. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6 ET.
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/HARRY E ARANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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