DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
Claims 1 – 4, 6 – 13 are pending.
Claims 1, 4, 6, and 13 are independent.
Claims 5 and 14 have been cancelled.
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 .
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts. The abstract presented Is too long. Appropriate action is required.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation are:
generic placeholder “an acquisition unit” coupled with functional language “that acquires a power load indicating time-series data of power of an energy storage device in a first period”,
generic placeholder “a classification unit” coupled with functional language “that classifies each power load obtained by dividing the power load acquired by the acquisition unit for each second period shorter than the first period into a plurality of groups”, and
generic placeholder “an extraction unit” coupled with functional language “that extracts, for each group classified by the classification unit, a representative power load from among power loads for each second period belonging to each group” in claim 1;
generic placeholder “the classification unit” coupled with functional language “classifies power loads for each second period into a plurality of groups by using a classification model generated by machine learning of a plurality of power loads” in claim 2;
generic placeholder “the extraction unit” coupled with functional language “extracts the representative power load based on a mode of a total energization power amount of a power load in each second period in each group” in claim 3;
generic placeholder “an acquisition unit” coupled with functional language “that acquires a plurality of representative power loads extracted from among power loads obtained by dividing a power load indicating time-series data of power of an energy storage device in a first period for each second period shorter than the first period”; and
generic placeholder “a generation unit” coupled with functional language “that generates a virtual power load in the first period by combining the plurality of representative power loads acquired by the acquisition unit” in claim 6;
generic placeholder “the generation unit” coupled with the functional language “combines each representative power load based on appearance probability of each representative power load in a first period” in claim 7;
generic placeholder “the generation unit” generates a plurality of patterns of virtual power loads by varying appearance probability of each representative power load in a first period in claim 8;
generic placeholder “a random number generation unit” coupled with functional language “that generates a random number, wherein the generation unit combines the representative power load based on the random number generated by the random number generation unit” in claim 9;
generic placeholder “the random number generation unit” coupled with functional language “generates the random number based on a length of a first period with respect to a length of a second period, a type of a representative power load, and appearance probability in the first period of each representative power load” in claim 10;
generic placeholder “the random number generation unit” coupled with functional language “generates the random number based on a total energization power amount of each power load in each group and a frequency of each total energization power amount in each group” in claim 11; and
generic placeholder “output unit” coupled with functional language “that outputs the generated virtual power load to a life prediction device that predicts a life of the energy storage device by using a virtual power load” in claim 12 without reciting sufficient structure to achieve the function. Furthermore, the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
Since the claim limitation(s) invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, claims 1-14 have been interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification that achieves the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
A review of the specification shows that the following appears to be the corresponding structure described in the specification for the 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre- AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph limitation: paragraphs 0053, 0063, 0069, 0101 - 0113.
Because these claim limitations are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, they are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitations interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1 – 4, and 6 – 13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because they are directed toward an abstract idea.
Claim 1 recites an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim recites steps of "classifying" and "extracting" which are considered mental processes. The claim also recites "acquiring a power load..." which is extra-solution activity, data gathering. The additional elements recited that include units that perform the mental processes are no more than generic computer components used to carry out the abstract idea and are not significantly more.
Claim 2 recites an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim recites steps of "classifying" which is considered a mental process. The additional elements recited that include units that perform the mental processes are no more than generic computer components used to carry out the abstract idea and are not significantly more.
Claim 3 recites an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim recites steps of "extracting" which are considered mental processes. The additional elements recited that include units that perform the mental processes are no more than generic computer components used to carry out the abstract idea and are not significantly more.
Claim 4 recites limitations similar to claim 1 and is rejected under 101 for the same reasons discussed above.
Claim 6 is also directed to an abstract idea. The generating step is a mental process because the virtual power load is generated by merely combining power loads. In other words, the power loads are merely information and the virtual power load merely combines the information. This can be done mentally or on pen and paper. The acquiring step is extra-solution activity because it is directed towards mere data gathering. The additional elements "acquisition unit" and "a generation unit" are generic computer components and are simply used to apply the abstract idea in a technological environment.
Claims 7 – 11 recites limitations similar to claims 1 and claim 6 and is rejected under 101 for the same reasons discussed above.
Claim 12 recites an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim recites "outputting the generated virtual power load..." which is extra-solution activity, data gathering. The additional elements recited that include units that perform the mental processes are no more than generic computer components used to carry out the abstract idea and are not significantly more.
Claim 13 recites limitations similar to claim 6 and is rejected under 101 using the same reasoning as being directed towards an abstract idea.
Appropriated action is required.
EXAMINER'S AMENDMENT
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: “INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM FOR EXTRACTING REPRESENTATIVE POWER LOADS FROM A GROUP OF POWER LOADS DERIVIED FROM TIME-SERIES DATA OF POWER OF AN ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ukumori; Nan (US Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0033680 A1) “Degradation Estimation Apparatus, Computer Program, and Degradation Estimation Method” is cited to teach a deterioration estimation device with: an state of health (SOH) acquisition unit which acquires the SOH of a power storage element at a first time and the SOH at a second time after the first time; and a learning processing unit which trains a learning model on the basis of learning data which, as input data, includes time series data relating to the state of the power storage element from the first time to the second time, and the SOH at the first time and, as output data, includes the SOH at the second time.
Takahashi; Ryosuke et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0292620 A1) “Battery Life Learning Device, Battery Life Prediction Device, Method And Non-Transitory Computer Readable Medium” is cited to teach a battery life learning device including a learning section configured to obtain a learned prediction model for predicting a remaining life of a vehicle battery from time-series data of a deterioration characteristic of the vehicle battery, the learned prediction model being obtained by learning a prediction model from the time-series data of the deterioration characteristic of the vehicle battery based on learning data, the learning data including time-series data of the deterioration characteristic at a predetermined time point in the past of a vehicle battery for learning that has reached an end of life and the remaining life at the predetermined time point of the vehicle battery for learning.
Takahashi; Toshihiro (US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0013236 A1) “System, Method, And Program Product For Predicting State Of Battery” is cited to teach an observation model for calculating a capacity maintenance ratio of a battery. The capacity maintenance ratio is calculated on the basis of basic data representing an internal state of the battery (such as a feature quantity extracted from a positive and negative AC impedance curve plot), and a transition model for mapping a temporally preceding internal state and deterioration environment (SOC, that is, the battery capacity that is actually available, temperature, etc.) onto a current internal state are prepared in advance. Using the above models, a transition path of an internal state having the maximum likelihood, that is, the minimum sum of squares of differences between predictive values calculated from the above models and an actual value, is determined using an optimization method that is preferably dynamic programming, and the capacity maintenance ratio is predicted.
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/TERRELL S JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2176