CTNF 18/923,705 CTNF 89840 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. 07-30-03-h AIA Claim Interpretation 07-30-03 AIA 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. 07-30-05 The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked. As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph: (A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non- structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function; (B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and (C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function. Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function. Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function. Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. 07-30-06 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(s) is: “a control unit” in claims 2 and 7 . Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/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 limitation(s) 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 it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. Claim Objections 07-29-01 AIA Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: the phrase “a control unit” in line 2 should be re-written as “the control unit” if these are the same control units . Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1 and 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mituta et al. US 2021/0257843 A1 in a view of Lee et al. US 11,171,504 B2 . Regarding claim 1 , Mituta et al. disclose A power storage system (fig. 2), comprising: a battery including a first power storage (item 14A), a second power storage (item 14B), and a first switch unit (items S1 and S2) configured to switch between a first voltage state (400V) in which the first power storage and the second power storage are connected in series and chargeable at a first voltage (400V DCFC), and a second voltage state (800V DCFC) in which the first power storage and the second power storage are connected in parallel and chargeable at a second voltage (800V) [0048-0053, 0056, 0061]; a three-phase motor (item 30), the three-phase motor being driven by electric power supplied from the battery [0044]; an inverter (item 32) connected on an electric power transmission path between the battery and the three-phase motor [0044]; a DC power supply circuit (DCFC) connected to a first connection portion (+-) positioned on an electric power transmission path between the inverter and the battery [0041] (see fig. 2 for detail) (see annotated fig. below); and a branch circuit (a branch coming from + off item 12 coupled to the motor 30 via VDC) that branches off from the DC power supply circuit on a positive electrode side (+) and is connected to a coil of any one phase among the coils of three phases [0045] (windings are inherently coupled to the branch circuit), wherein the first switch unit includes a semiconductor switch [0051]. PNG media_image1.png 446 958 media_image1.png Greyscale Mituta does not disclose but Lee et al. disclose in which coils (fig. 1, item 20 has coils) of three phases are connected at a neutral point (N), a capacitor (item Cdc) provided on the electric power transmission path (path between item 40 and item 20) between the battery (item 40) and the three-phase motor (item 20) (column 4, lines 18-48). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use three phase coils connected to a neutral point along with the capacitor provided on the transmission path as taught by Lee in Mituta’s system for stably controlling an external charging voltage input to a neutral point of the motor, reducing current imbalance and improving charge efficiency. 3. The power storage system according to claim 1, wherein the battery includes a positive electrode side path of the first power storage, a positive electrode side path of the second power storage, a positive electrode side node at which the positive electrode side path of the first power storage and the positive electrode side path of the second power storage are connected in parallel, a negative electrode side path of the first power storage, a negative electrode side path of the second power storage, a negative electrode side node at which the negative electrode side path of the first power storage and the negative electrode side path of the second power storage are connected in parallel, a series connection path connecting the negative electrode side path of the first power storage and the positive electrode side path of the second power storage, a negative electrode side connection node at which the series connection path and the negative electrode side path of the first power storage are connected, and a positive electrode side connection node at which the series connection path and the positive electrode side path of the second power storage are connected, and the first switch unit includes a first semiconductor switch disposed in the series connection path, a second semiconductor switch disposed between the positive electrode side node and the positive electrode side connection node, a third semiconductor switch disposed between the negative electrode side node and the negative electrode side connection node, a first reactor disposed between the positive electrode side connection node and a positive electrode of the second power storage, and a second reactor disposed between the negative electrode side connection node and a negative electrode of the first power storage. Regarding claim 4 , Mituta et al. disclose , wherein the branch circuit is connected to a coil of any one phase among the coils of three phases at a second connection portion (a portion between VDC and SA3) via a second switch unit (item SA3) (see fig. 2 for detail). Regarding claim 5 , Mituta et al. disclose an auxiliary device (auxiliary loads) configured to be driven by DC electric power from the battery and an external power supply (item 34); and an auxiliary device drive circuit connected on an electric power transmission path (electrical communication) between the inverter and the first connection portion, and configured to supply electric power to the auxiliary device, wherein the auxiliary device is operated at the first voltage [0043, 0044]. Regarding claim 6 , Mituta et al. disclose , wherein the auxiliary device is connected to the battery via a third switch unit (item SA1) (see fig. 2 for detail) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mituta et al. US 2021/0257843 A1 in a view of Lee et al. US 11,171,504 B2 and further in a view of Furukawa et al. US 8,228,037 B2 . Regarding claim 2 , a combination of Mitta and Lee does not disclose but Furukawa et al. disclose a control unit (fig. 2, item 4) configured to control the first switch unit (a semiconductor switching device), wherein the control unit performs PWM control (ON and OFF) on the first switch unit during pre-charge of the capacitor (column 7, lines 45-63). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a control unit to control the first switch unit using PWM control during pre-charge as taught by Furukawa in Mituta’s and Lee’s teachings to optimize battery system for a car power source apparatus (Furukawa’s column 1, lines 5-10) 07-21-aia AIA Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mituta et al. US 2021/0257843 A1 in a view of Lee et al. US 11,171,504 B2 and further in a view of TAKAHASHI JP 2014093883 A . Regarding claim 7 , a combination of Mitta and Lee does not disclose but TAKAHASHI discloses a control unit (item 20) configured to control the first switch unit (fig. 1, item 9) and the inverter (item 6), wherein when the battery (item 4) is charged at the second voltage, the control unit causes the inverter to boost a voltage supplied from the branch circuit to the three-phase motor (item 2) to the first voltage. PNG media_image2.png 378 928 media_image2.png Greyscale Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the control unit to control the first switch along with boosting the voltage as taught by TAKAHASHI in Mituta’s and Lee’s system in order to restrain from increasing weight and size (see TAKAHASHI’s abstract section) . Allowable Subject Matter Claim 3 is 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. Claim 3 discloses details of the battery configurations along with reactors. Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Gale et al. (US 6,930,404 B1) disclose power supply for an automotive vehicle. Nimmi et al. (US 11,034,258 B2) disclose power supply for vehicle. Ogihara et al. (US 12,466,278 B2) disclose power storage system. KAWAKAMI et al. (US 2023/0275518 A1) disclose conversion device (fig. 7). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BICKEY DHAKAL whose telephone number is (571)272-3577. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-4:30 PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached on 571-272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /BICKEY DHAKAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837 Application/Control Number: 18/923,705 Page 2 Art Unit: 2837 Application/Control Number: 18/923,705 Page 3 Art Unit: 2837 Application/Control Number: 18/923,705 Page 4 Art Unit: 2837 Application/Control Number: 18/923,705 Page 5 Art Unit: 2837 Application/Control Number: 18/923,705 Page 6 Art Unit: 2837 Application/Control Number: 18/923,705 Page 7 Art Unit: 2837 Application/Control Number: 18/923,705 Page 8 Art Unit: 2837 Application/Control Number: 18/923,705 Page 9 Art Unit: 2837 Application/Control Number: 18/923,705 Page 10 Art Unit: 2837
Prosecution Insights