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) 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (2025/0091481).
Regarding applicant claim 1, Kim discloses a vehicle comprising a vehicle body, wherein:
the vehicle body includes a first circuit and a first control device ([0104]-[0105] “first circuit”);
the vehicle body is configured such that a power storage device is attachable to and removable from the vehicle body, the power storage device including a second circuit, the second circuit including a battery ([0066] “second controller; second high voltage battery”; [0118] “second battery”); and
the first control device is configured to acquire information on at least one of a state of the battery or a state of the second circuit from the power storage device when the power storage device is attached to the vehicle body, and determine, using the information, whether to apply a voltage of the battery to the first circuit ([0078] “state information”; ([0136] “first controller may determine a distributed current of each of the first high voltage battery and the second high voltage battery… predetermined… and may determine one of the plurality of cases based on the first efficiency value and the second efficiency value for each of the cases”).
Regarding applicant claim 2, Kim discloses wherein the information indicates at least one of the voltage of the battery, a temperature of the battery, or an electric leakage state of the second circuit ([0118] temperature of the first and second battery).
Regarding applicant claim 3, Kim discloses wherein the first control device is configured not to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit until the information is acquired from the power storage device after the power storage device is attached to the vehicle body ([0068] “battery management system BMS”; [0070] “BMS may perform cell balancing function… battery cooling, charging, battery discharge control, etc.”).
Regarding applicant claim 4, Kim discloses wherein: the power storage device is a battery pack further including a second control device in addition to the second circuit; the vehicle body further includes a power supply; and the second control device is started up with electric power supplied from the power supply when the power storage device is attached to the vehicle body, and the second control device that has been started up transmits the information to the first control device ([0068] “battery management system BMS”; [0070] “BMS may perform cell balancing function… battery cooling, charging, battery discharge control, etc.”).
Regarding applicant claim 5, Kim discloses wherein: the second control device is configured to acquire the voltage of the battery; the information indicates the voltage of the battery; and the first control device is, when the power storage device is attached to the vehicle body, configured to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit when the voltage of the battery is within a predetermined range, and not to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit when the voltage of the battery is not within the predetermined range ([0114]-[0115] “predetermined range”).
Regarding applicant claim 6, Kim discloses wherein: the second control device is configured to acquire a temperature of the battery; the information indicates the temperature of the battery; and the first control device is, when the power storage device is attached to the vehicle body, configured to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit when the temperature of the battery is within a predetermined range, and not to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit when the temperature of the battery is not within the predetermined range ([0118]-[0125] “temperature… efficiency map”).
Regarding applicant claim 7, Kim discloses wherein: the second control device is configured to acquire an electric leakage state of the second circuit; the information indicates the electric leakage state of the second circuit; and the first control device is, when the power storage device is attached to the vehicle body, configured to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit when no electric leakage has occurred in the second circuit, and not to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit when electric leakage has occurred in the second circuit ([0020]-[0023] first and second efficiency value… “is determined according to a second efficiency map for SoC, temperature, and electric current of the second high voltage battery”).
Regarding applicant claim 8, Kim discloses wherein: the vehicle body further includes a first terminal configured such that the power storage device is attachable to and removable from the first terminal, and a first relay disposed between the first terminal and the first circuit; the first circuit includes a motor; and the first control device is configured to switch the first relay from a disconnected state to a connected state when the first control device determines to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit ([0073] “CMU may be directly attached to a battery cell to monitor voltage, current temperature, etc.”; [0074] “connection between a high voltage battery and a drivetrain”; [0088] “first connection; second connection”).
Regarding applicant claim 9, Kim discloses wherein: the power storage device further includes a second terminal configured such that the vehicle body is attachable to and removable from the second terminal, and a second relay disposed between the second terminal and the second circuit; and the first control device is configured to switch the second relay from a disconnected state to a connected state when the first control device determines to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit ([0073] “CMU may be directly attached to a battery cell to monitor voltage, current temperature, etc.”; [0074] “connection between a high voltage battery and a drivetrain”; [0088] “first connection; second connection”).
Regarding applicant claim 10, Kim discloses wherein the first control device is configured to give a predetermined notification to a user of the vehicle when the first control device determines not to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit ([0047] “communication device that communicates with other controllers or sensors to control a certain function”).
Regarding applicant claim 11, Kim discloses wherein: the first control device is configured to communicate with a battery replacement system, the battery replacement system including a replacement device configured to replace the power storage device attached to the vehicle body with another power storage device; and the first control device is configured to request the battery replacement system to replace the power storage device attached to the vehicle body when the first control device determines not to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit ([0065] “second high voltage battery may be a replaceable battery, an auxiliary battery, an extended battery or a secondary battery”; [0066]-[0067]).
Regarding applicant claim 12, Kim discloses wherein: the first control device is configured to communicate with a battery replacement system, the battery replacement system including a replacement device configured to replace the power storage device attached to the vehicle body with another power storage device; and the first control device is configured to determine whether to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit before the battery replacement system fixes the power storage device to the vehicle body, request the battery replacement system to fix the power storage device to the vehicle body when the first control device determines to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit, and request the battery replacement system to remove the power storage device from the vehicle body when the first control device determines not to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit ([0065] “second high voltage battery may be a replaceable battery, an auxiliary battery, an extended battery or a secondary battery”; [0066]-[0067]).
Regarding applicant claim 13, Kim discloses wherein the first control device is, when the power storage device is attached to the vehicle body, further configured to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit when the information satisfies a predetermined requirement, and not to apply the voltage of the battery to the first circuit when the information does not satisfy the predetermined requirement ([0136] “first controller may determine a distributed current of each of the first high voltage battery and the second high voltage battery… predetermined… and may determine one of the plurality of cases based on the first efficiency value and the second efficiency value for each of the cases”).
Regarding applicant claim 14, Kim discloses a battery replacement method comprising:
removing a first power storage device from a vehicle including a vehicle body and the first power storage device, the vehicle body including a first circuit and a first control device, the first power storage device including a first battery ([0104]-[0105] “first circuit”);
attaching a second power storage device to the vehicle body in place of the first power storage device, the second power storage device including a second circuit and a second control device, the second circuit including a second battery ([0066] “second controller; second high voltage battery”; [0118] “second battery”); and;
acquiring, by the first control device, information on at least one of a state of the second battery or a state of the second circuit from the second control device with the second power storage device attached to the vehicle body; and determining, by the first control device, using the information acquired from the second control device, whether to apply a voltage of the second battery to the first circuit ([0136] “first controller may determine a distributed current of each of the first high voltage battery and the second high voltage battery… predetermined… and may determine one of the plurality of cases based on the first efficiency value and the second efficiency value for each of the cases”)..
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WAE LENNY LOUIE whose telephone number is (571)272-5195. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6AM-3PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, PETER D NOLAN can be reached at 571-270-7016. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/W.L.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3661
/PETER D NOLAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661
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