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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 04/09/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-10 remain pending in the application.
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 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 1-3 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al. (US 20130342310 A1) in view of Adegbohun (US 20220289067 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Park teaches a battery replacement apparatus configured to perform battery replacement of replacing a first battery mounted in a vehicle with a second battery, comprising:
a drive device configured to perform the battery replacement ([0103], [0110], and Fig. 7, where battery charging station 200 comprises battery exchange robot 250);
a processor configured to control the drive device ([0112] and Fig. 7, where charging station control unit 270 controls battery exchange robot 250), wherein the processor is configured to
acquire first vehicle information that identifies the vehicle and replacement battery information that identifies the second battery from the vehicle or a user of the vehicle ([0050-0051] and [0057], where the vehicle sends replacement battery information that identifies if a second battery can be exchanged into the vehicle, specifically a battery type; [0053] and [0055-0056], where the battery charging station receives a reservation command that creates a reservation with the corresponding vehicle),
and control the drive device using the replacement battery information and the first vehicle information to replace the first battery with the second battery ([0114-0116] and [0118], where the battery exchange robot is controlled to perform the battery exchange according to the reservation made).
Park teaches that the vehicle information includes types of batteries that can be installed in the vehicle ([0052] and [0057]), but does not teach that the information is also comprising sizes of batteries and electrical characteristics, including voltage, output electric power, and remaining capacity, of batteries suitable for the vehicle.
In the same field of endeavor, Adegbohun discloses a battery management system (BMS) transmits vehicle information to a and a charge management system (CMS), the vehicle information comprising sizes of batteries sizes batteries that can be installed in the vehicle, and electrical characteristics, including voltage, output electric power, and remaining capacity, of batteries suitable for the vehicle ([0015], [0021], [0064], and [0092], where the battery information managed by the BMS and transmitted/received by the CMS includes “voltage conditions”, “measurement and estimation of states and parameters such as state of charge [and] state of power”, “usable capacity”, “battery location and size”, etc.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify Park to transmit more parameters as part of the vehicle information based on a reasonable expectation of success and motivation of realizing the advantageous battery swapping network of Adegbohun as this allows the battery replacement system to communicate more pertinent information to the vehicle and the battery swapping network as a whole. This has numerous various advantages as described in Adegbohun, including but not limited to: allowing for the better routing of EV/AV customers based on swap demand ([0088] and [0091]), the better routing of customers based on remaining state of charge or capacity of the vehicle’s battery ([0064-0065]), the scheduling of battery swapping to reduce wait times ([0088]), and the better managing of the electrical grid capacity ([0091]).
Regarding claim 2, Park teaches wherein the processor is configured to control the drive device using the replacement battery information and the first vehicle information acquired after the replacement battery information to replace the first battery with the second battery ([0050-0051] and [0055-0056], where information regarding the initial availability of a second replacement battery is first received, then the reservation confirmation of the battery exchanging is received for future replacement with the identified vehicle).
Regarding claim 3, Park teaches the battery replacement apparatus further comprising:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire second vehicle information of the vehicle ([0046], [0107], and Fig. 7, where communication unit 220 receives second vehicle information when transmitted to the battery charging station 200),
wherein the processor is configured to control the drive device to replace the first battery with the second battery when the second vehicle information coincides with the first vehicle information ([0114-0116], where the reservation information, i.e. first vehicle information, and the identification information, i.e. second vehicle information, are checked to see if the vehicle matches a reservation on record, and battery exchanging occurs if the vehicle has a reservation).
Regarding claim 6, Park teaches an information providing device configured to provide information to a battery replacement apparatus that replaces a first battery mounted in a vehicle with a second battery, (Figs. 2, control unit 130 and communication unit 120), wherein the information providing device is configured to:
provide the battery replacement apparatus with replacement battery information that identifies the second battery ([0050-0052] and [0057], where the vehicle requests if the battery charging station has a battery that can be exchanged based on the battery type),
and provide the battery replacement apparatus with vehicle information that identifies the vehicle ([0053] and [0055-0056], where the battery charging station receives a reservation command from the vehicle that creates a reservation with the corresponding vehicle).
Park teaches that the vehicle information includes types of batteries that can be installed in the vehicle ([0052] and [0057]), but does not teach that the information is also comprising sizes of batteries and electrical characteristics, including voltage, output electric power, and remaining capacity, of batteries suitable for the vehicle.
In the same field of endeavor, Adegbohun discloses a battery management system (BMS) transmits vehicle information to a and a charge management system (CMS), the vehicle information comprising sizes of batteries sizes batteries that can be installed in the vehicle, and electrical characteristics, including voltage, output electric power, and remaining capacity, of batteries suitable for the vehicle ([0015], [0021], [0064], and [0092], where the battery information managed/transmitted by the BMS and received by the CMS includes “voltage conditions”, “measurement and estimation of states and parameters such as state of charge [and] state of power”, “usable capacity”, “battery location and size”, etc.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify Park to transmit more parameters as part of the vehicle information based on a reasonable expectation of success and motivation of realizing the advantageous battery swapping network of Adegbohun as this allows the battery replacement system to communicate more pertinent information to the vehicle and the battery swapping network as a whole. This has numerous various advantages as described in Adegbohun, including but not limited to: allowing for the better routing of EV/AV customers based on swap demand ([0088] and [0091]), the better routing of customers based on remaining state of charge or capacity of the vehicle’s battery ([0064-0065]), the scheduling of battery swapping to reduce wait times ([0088]), and the better managing of the electrical grid capacity ([0091]).
Regarding claim 7, Park teaches wherein the information providing device is configured to provide the vehicle information to the battery replacement apparatus after the replacement battery information is provided to the battery replacement apparatus ([0050-0051] and [0054-0056], where information regarding the initial availability of a second replacement battery is first sent by the vehicle, then the reservation confirmation of the battery exchanging is sent by the vehicle for future replacement with the identified vehicle).
Regarding claim 8, Park teaches a battery replacement system comprising:
a battery replacement apparatus configured to perform battery replacement of replacing a first battery mounted in a vehicle with a second battery (Fig. 7, battery charging station 200);
and an information providing device configured to provide information to the battery replacement apparatus (Fig. 2, control unit 130 and communication unit 120), wherein the battery replacement apparatus includes:
a drive device configured to perform the battery replacement ([0103], [0110], and Fig. 7, where battery charging station 200 comprises battery exchange robot 250);
and a processor configured to control the drive device ([0112] and Fig. 7, where charging station control unit 270 controls battery exchange robot 250), the processor is configured to:
acquire vehicle information that identifies the vehicle and replacement battery information that identifies the second battery from the vehicle or a user of the vehicle ([0050-0051] and [0057], where the vehicle sends replacement battery information that identifies if a second battery can be exchanged into the vehicle, specifically a battery type; [0053] and [0055-0056], where the battery charging station receives a reservation command that creates a reservation with the corresponding vehicle),
and control the drive device using the replacement battery information and the vehicle information to replace the first battery with the second battery ([0114-0116] and [0118], where the battery exchange robot is controlled to perform the battery exchange according to the reservation made),
and the information providing device is configured to provide the battery replacement apparatus with the replacement battery information and the vehicle information ([0053] and [0055-0056], where the battery charging station receives a reservation command from the vehicle that creates a reservation with the corresponding vehicle).
Park teaches that the vehicle information includes types of batteries that can be installed in the vehicle ([0052] and [0057]), but does not teach that the information is also comprising sizes of batteries and electrical characteristics, including voltage, output electric power, and remaining capacity, of batteries suitable for the vehicle.
In the same field of endeavor, Adegbohun discloses a battery management system (BMS) transmits vehicle information to a and a charge management system (CMS), the vehicle information comprising sizes of batteries sizes batteries that can be installed in the vehicle, and electrical characteristics, including voltage, output electric power, and remaining capacity, of batteries suitable for the vehicle ([0015], [0021], [0064], and [0092], where the battery information managed/transmitted by the BMS and received by the CMS includes “voltage conditions”, “measurement and estimation of states and parameters such as state of charge [and] state of power”, “usable capacity”, “battery location and size”, etc.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify Park to transmit more parameters as part of the vehicle information based on a reasonable expectation of success and motivation of realizing the advantageous battery swapping network of Adegbohun as this allows the battery replacement system to communicate more pertinent information to the vehicle and the battery swapping network as a whole. This has numerous various advantages as described in Adegbohun, including but not limited to: allowing for the better routing of EV/AV customers based on swap demand ([0088] and [0091]), the better routing of customers based on remaining state of charge or capacity of the vehicle’s battery ([0064-0065]), the scheduling of battery swapping to reduce wait times ([0088]), and the better managing of the electrical grid capacity ([0091]).
Regarding claim 9, Park teaches wherein the processor is configured to control the drive device using the replacement battery information and the vehicle information acquired after the replacement battery information to replace the first battery with the second battery ([0050-0051] and [0055-0056], where information regarding the initial availability of a second replacement battery is first received, then the reservation confirmation of the battery exchanging is received for future replacement with the identified vehicle).
Regarding claim 10, Park teaches wherein the information providing device is configured to provide the vehicle information to the battery replacement apparatus after the replacement battery information is provided to the battery replacement apparatus ([0050-0051] and [0054-0056], where information regarding the initial availability of a second replacement battery is first sent by the vehicle, then the reservation confirmation of the battery exchanging is sent by the vehicle for future replacement with the identified vehicle).
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park in view of Adegbohun as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Huang et al. (US 20230063189 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Park teaches the acquisition unit of claim 3, but does not teach the limitations of claim 4. In the same field of battery replacement processes for vehicles, Huang teaches:
wherein the acquisition unit includes a camera configured to image the vehicle ([0048]),
and the second vehicle information includes information on a license plate of the vehicle imaged by the camera ([0047-0048]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify the acquisition of unit of Park based on a reasonable expectation of success and motivation of increasing the accuracy of the performed identification of the vehicle, ensuring that the correct vehicle is authorized for a reserved battery.
Regarding claim 5, Park teaches that the acquisition unit includes a communication unit ([0044] and [0046), but does not teach that it is configured to perform near-field radio communication with the vehicle, and is configured to receive the second vehicle information from the vehicle through the communication unit.
In the same field of battery replacement processes for vehicles, Huang teaches: an acquisition unit including a communication unit configured to:
perform near-field radio communication with the vehicle ([0048], where a vehicle identification collection device is a radio frequency identification tag reader),
and is configured to receive the second vehicle information from the vehicle through the communication unit ([0048], where the vehicle identification collection device reads vehicle information from its radio frequency identification tag).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify the acquisition of unit of Park based on a reasonable expectation of success and motivation of increasing the accuracy of the performed identification of the vehicle, ensuring that the correct vehicle is authorized for a reserved battery.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 6, and 8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACK R BREWER whose telephone number is (571)272-4455. The examiner can normally be reached 10AM-6PM.
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/JACK R. BREWER/Examiner, Art Unit 3663
/ADAM D TISSOT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3663
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