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 § 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.
Claim(s) 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ward et al., US pg. Pub. No. (2019/0308520) referred to hereinafter as Ward.
As per claim 12, Ward teaches a method for assigning vehicles to charging stations, the method comprising: exchanging information directly or indirectly wirelessly with a charging station network between a vehicle having an electric energy store to be charged and a charging station, wherein the information comprises at least vehicle configuration parameters and charging process information (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, figs. 5-7); and assigning, by a computing unit and accounting for the information, the vehicle to one of the charging stations to perform a charging process, wherein the vehicle reports a first vehicle configuration to the charging station network, the charging station network determines the charging process information depending on the first vehicle configuration and transmits the charging process information to the vehicle (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, 82, 86-87, figs. 5-7), and the vehicle adapts at least one vehicle configuration parameter depending on the charging process information obtained from the charging station network to set a second vehicle configuration before the charging process is carried out (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, 82, 86-87, figs. 5-7), wherein the charging station network conveys charging-process-specific interface usage information to the vehicle, the charging-process-specific interface usage information authorizes the vehicle and enables the vehicle to exchange information, when a specified event occurs, via an exchange interface between the vehicle and third parties or the charging station network (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, 82, 86-87, figs. 5-7), and wherein the charging station network conveys a charging-process-specific emergency call number as charging-process-specific interface usage information to the vehicle, after which, to adapt one of the vehicle configuration parameters, the vehicle sets the charging-process-specific emergency call number as a reference emergency call number for establishing a communication link in an emergency (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, 82, 86-87, figs. 5-7).
As per claim 13, Ward teaches a method of claim 12, wherein, to adapt one of the vehicle configuration parameters, the vehicle activates preconditioning of the electric energy store (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, 82, 86-87, figs. 5-7).
As per claim 14, Ward teaches a method of claim 12, wherein the first or second vehicle configuration comprises safety charging parameters allowing it to be reported to the charging station network that the charging process is to take place with a charging speed, charging capacity, charging current strength, charging voltage, charging duration, or charging energy quantity that is/are reduced compared to standard charging parameters (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, 82, 86-87, figs. 5-7).
As per claim 15, Ward teaches a method of claim 12, wherein the first or second vehicle configuration comprises a minimum charging state threshold value, up to which the electric energy store is to be filled during the charging process at least up to a specified point in time (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, 82, 86-87, figs. 5-7).
As per claim 16, Ward teaches a method of claim 12, wherein the vehicle navigates at least in a semi-automated manner to the charging station and, on arrival at the charging station the vehicle automatically releases a charging interface lock of the charging interface of the vehicle for an authorized person (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, 82, 86-87, figs. 5-7).
As per claim 17, Ward teaches a method of claim 12, wherein the information is exchanged between the vehicle and the charging station network, or the vehicle configuration is adapted independently of an operating mode of the vehicle (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, 82, 86-87, figs. 5-7).
As per claim 18, Ward teaches a method of claim 12, wherein the wireless exchange of information takes place between the vehicle and the charging station network by WLAN, Bluetooth, NFC, ZigBee, or 2G to 6G mobile radio (see at least Abstract, Summary, Para 29-31, 56, 82, 86-87, figs. 5-7).
As per claims 19-20, the limitations of claims 19-20 are similar to the limitations of claims 12-18, therefore they are rejected based on the same rationale.
Conclusion
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/MUSSA A SHAAWAT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3669