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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 09/10/2026 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-2, and 9 are objected to because of the following informalities: Independent claims recite, “providing a predetermined first threshold value SOC/SOH1Threshold…” without initially introducing what “SOC” and “SOH” are. Although they are introduced at later stages of the claim, it is plausible that they are introduced when it is first recited. Please amend this to “State of Charge (SOC)/ State of Health (SOH)1 threshold” and amend “based on the measurements, battery charge level, State Of Charge {SOC), as number of ampere hours possible to discharge before the maintenance battery pack is discharged; calculating, based on the measurements, battery health, State of Health (SOH),” to “based on the measurements, battery charge level, SOC SOH . Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 11 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims recite, “State of Charge SOC…” and “State of Health SOH…”. Please amend this to “State of Charge (SOC)…” and “State of Health (SOH)…” to include parentheses. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-2, 9, 11, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1-2, 9, 11, and 14 recite the limitation "the condition of the battery pack…". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Please amend this to “a condition”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 and 11-15 are allowed over prior art of record.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The primary reason for the allowance of the Claims 1, 2, 9, 11, and 14 is the inclusion of the limitation, "when the vehicle is inactive: providing a predetermined first threshold value SOC/SOH1Threshold as a value when charging is activated and a predetermined second threshold value SOC/SOH2Thresholdasa value when charging is terminated; continually measuring battery voltage, battery current, and battery temperature of the maintenance battery pack; calculating, based on the measurements, battery charge level, State Of Charge {SOC), as number of ampere hours possible to discharge before the maintenance battery pack is discharged; calculating, based on the measurements, battery health, State of Health (SOH), as number of ampere hours possible to discharge, if the maintenance battery pack was fully charged; calculating SOC/SOH as a value of battery charge quota; and comparing the battery charge quota SOC/SOH with the predetermined first threshold SOC/SOH1Threshold value, wherein if SOC/SOH < SOC/SOH1Threshold,checking the condition of the propulsion battery pack, and if condition is satisfactory; activating the propulsion battery pack to charge the maintenance battery; comparing the battery charge quota SOC/SOH with the predetermined second threshold SOC/SOH2Threshold value; and terminating charging when SOC/SOH > SOC/SOH2Threshold." in conjunction with all disclosed steps of functions or all disclosed structures performing corresponding functions in claims 1, 2, 9, 11, and 14.
Each of prior arts of record teaches portions of the scope of the claim above, however, it would have not been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine all prior arts to teach the claim limitations before the effective filing date of instant application unless knowledge from the applicant's disclosure is obtained.
Examiner notes the above limitation is novel over the prior art in view of the entirety of the claim, not just the limitation presented alone. Examiner is pointing out the subject matter of the above-described claims of which is considered novel over the prior art for the benefit of the Applicant and cannot be considered novel alone, but in context of the entirety of the claim language.
Consequently, the prior arts of record individually and as a whole do not teach the claim limitation above.
Claims 3-8, 12-13, and 15 depending on claims 1, 12, and 14 respectively, therefore, are considered allowable on the basis as the independent claim as well as for the further limitations set forth.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN S LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-2674. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8-5.
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/JUSTIN S LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3668
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