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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/14/2024 the submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 20 recites the limitation " the first energy storage module" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 5, 8-9, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being participated by Stellnert et al. (US 2021/0305838).
Regarding claim 1, Stellnert teaches a charging apparatus (see figure 1@ 104), configured to charge a second energy storage module (fig. 1@ 112, 116, 120), wherein the charging apparatus (104) comprises a charging module (fig. 1@ 152) and a charging interface module (fig. 1@ 128, 132), wherein the first charging module (152) comprises at least a first charging unit (fig. 1@ 212) and a second charging unit (fig. 1@ 216); the charging interface module (128, 132) comprises at least a first charging interface (fig. 1@ 128) and a second charging interface (fig. 1@ 132), wherein an output end of the first charging unit (212) is connected to the first charging interface (128) and an output end of the second charging unit (216) is connected to the second charging interface (132); and the charging apparatus (104) comprises at least a first charging mode (see figure 1: DC OUTPUT 132 charging power for 116) and a second charging mode (see figure 1: AC OUTPUT 128 charging power for 112 and 120), wherein in the second charging mode, at least the first charging unit (212) and the second charging unit (216) are connected in parallel to provide electrical energy to one charging interface of the first charging interface (128) and the second charging interface (132), (see par. [0020] and [0033-0034]; when AC OUTPUT and DC OUTPUT charging power to battery pack 136); and a maximum output power output by the charging interface in the first charging mode is less than a maximum output power output by the charging interface in the second charging mode (see figure 1: charging power from DC OUTPUT 132 to 116 is less than charging power from AC OUTPUT 128 to 112 and 120).
Regarding claim 5, Stellnert teaches wherein the charging apparatus (104) comprises a control module (fig. 1@ 176); the charging interface module (128, 132) further comprises an alternating current input interface (fig. 1@ AC INPUT 144) and a first direct current interface unit (fig. 1@ DC input from battery modules 148), wherein the alternating current input interface (144) is configured to be connectable to an alternating current power supply (fig. 1@ 124), and the first direct current interface unit (DC input from battery modules 148) is configured to be connectable to a first energy storage module (battery modules 148); and the control module (176) is configured to obtain information about an input power supply of the alternating current input interface and the first direct current interface unit, and determine, according to the information about the input power supply, whether the charging apparatus is allowed to enter the second charging mode (see figure 1 and par. [0036-0037] and [0049-0050]).
Regarding claim 8, Stellnert teaches wherein the charging apparatus comprises a control module (fig. 1@ 176); the charging apparatus further comprises a human-computer interaction module connected to the control module (par. [0037], “The controller 176 of the BMS 152 is configured to execute program instructions (i.e. software) for operating the portable power station 104 to supply electrical energy to the load 108”), and configured to obtain a fast charging instruction delivered by a user, wherein the fast charging instruction is used to instruct the charging apparatus to enter the second charging mode, wherein when the human-computer interaction module does not receive the fast charging instruction, the control module controls the charging apparatus to enter the first charging mode; and when the human-computer interaction module receives the fast charging instruction, the control module controls the charging apparatus to switch from the first charging mode to the second charging mode (par. [0051]).
Regarding claim 9, Stellnert teaches wherein in the first charging mode, when determining that at least the first charging unit (212) and the second charging unit (216) are each connected to a second energy storage module (148), the control module (176) is further configured to obtain information about an input power supply of the charging apparatus (104), and control, according to the information about the input power supply, at least the first charging unit and the second charging unit to charge the second energy storage modules connected thereto simultaneously or sequentially (see par. [0020], [0033-0037] and [0049-0050]).
Regarding claim 11, Stellnert teaches wherein the first charging unit (212) is connected to at least two charging interfaces (128 and 132) and the second charging unit (216) is connected to at least two charging interfaces (128 and 132); and in the first charging mode, when determining that a plurality of charging interfaces (128 and 132) connected to the first charging unit (212) and the second charging unit (216) are each connected to a second energy storage module (148), the control module is further configured to obtain information about the plurality of second energy storage modules and information about the input power supply, and control, based on the information about the plurality of second energy storage modules and the information about the input power supply, the first charging unit and the second charging unit to charge the plurality of second energy storage modules sequentially according to a preset priority (see figure 1; and par. [0020], [0033-0037] and [0049-0050]).
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stellnert et al. (US 2021/0305838) in view of Nagashima et al. (US 10,355,611).
Regarding claim 20, Stellnert teaches the charging apparatus above, but does not explicitly teach wherein the first charging module is a bidirectional charging module, and the second energy storage module is further configured to charge the first energy storage module through the first charging module.
Nagashima teaches the first charging module is a bidirectional charging module (see col. 2, lines 32-56; “a bi-directional AC-DC converter connected to the DC interface module, and an AC interface module connected to the bi-directional AC-DC converter”), and the second energy storage module is further configured to charge the first energy storage module through the first charging module (see figure 9; and col. 12, line 52 -col. 13, line 3; “an electric vehicle supplying power onto the utility grid”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Stellnert with the teachings of Nagashima by having the first charging module is a bidirectional charging module, and the second energy storage module is further configured to charge the first energy storage module through the first charging module in order to charge from a second energy storage module during off-peak hours (when electricity is cheaper) and discharge to power a first storage module or home during peak hours, reducing overall energy costs.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 6-7, 10, and 12-19 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.
Conclusion
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/XUAN LY/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836