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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Applicant Admitted Prior Art (hereinafter AAPA) and in view of Ke et al. (US 2013/0319657)
Re Claims 1 and 10; AAPA discloses A power supply system of a vehicle comprising:
a first low DC-DC converter (21 LDC) configured to convert a high voltage of a main battery (The high voltage junction box (HV J/BOX) 10 distributes a high voltage supplied from a main battery (not shown).) into a first low voltage and to output the first low voltage; (Fig. 1)
a second LDC (22) configured to convert the high voltage of the main battery into a second low voltage and to output the second low voltage; (Fig. 1)
a first power distributor (the first bus on the bottom) comprising a first built-in back to back switch (31 B2B), configured to receive the first low voltage output from the first LDC and to supply the received first low voltage to a first electrical load (71);
a second power distributor (the bus on top coupled to 22) comprising a second built-in B2B (22), configured to receive the second low voltage output from the second LDC and to supply the received second low voltage to a second electrical load (72); and
a bidirectional converter (40 and BMC) configured to convert a third voltage among the first low voltage output from the first LDC and the second low voltage output from the second LDC into a fourth voltage according to a power conversion request signal generated by the first power distributor or the second power distributor, and to supply the third voltage to the first power distributor or the second power distributor that generates the power conversion request signal; (the bidirectional converter converts the either 24V to 12V or 12V to 24V upon a conversion request signal)
AAPA does not necessarily disclose wherein the bidirectional converter is configured to determine whether a transmission process of the power conversion request signal is normal, to detect a voltage state of the first low- voltage or the second low-voltage upon a determination that the transmission process is not normal, to determine whether the detected voltage state is equal to or less than a preset threshold value for a preset time, and to supply power of the third voltage converted from the fourth voltage among the first low voltage and the second low voltage to the first and second electrical loads that use the one voltage as the driving power when the detected voltage state is determined to be equal to or less than the preset threshold value for the preset time, the third voltage being below a preset threshold value among the first low voltage and the second low voltage.
However, Ke discloses wherein the bidirectional converter (112) is configured to determine whether a transmission process of the power conversion request signal is normal, to detect a voltage state of the first low- voltage or the second low-voltage upon a determination that the transmission process is not normal, to determine whether the detected voltage state is equal to or less than a preset threshold value for a preset time, and to supply power of the third voltage converted from the fourth voltage among the first low voltage and the second low voltage to the first and second electrical loads that use the one voltage as the driving power when the detected voltage state is determined to be equal to or less than the preset threshold value for the preset time, the third voltage being below a preset threshold value among the first low voltage and the second low voltage. (Fig. 2 and Par 0025, 26, 27 etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have detected the status of the DC-DC and the power supply so that in case a failure in the system is detected, the proper adjustment to power is made to prevent abrupt vehicle shut down which could be harmful to the user.
Re Claims 2 and 11; Ke disclose wherein the bidirectional converter is further configured to determine whether the communication line through which the power conversion request signal is transmitted is normal. (Par 0025)
Re Claim 3; Ke discloses wherein determining whether the transmission process of the conversion request is normal comprises determining whether a subject that generates the conversion request is normal. (Ke discloses active monitoring of the all the power systems based on voltage, current, etc. and would determine whether a subject that generates the conversion request is normal )
Re Claim 12; wherein the bidirectional converter is further configured to determine whether the first power distributor or the second power distributor is normally operated. (The BMC is coupled to the CCC to determine whether the first power distributor or the second power distributor is normally operated (Fig. 2. Par 0024)
Re Claims 4, 6 and 13; AAPA discloses wherein the bidirectional converter is further configured to convert the second low voltage into the first low voltage and to supply the converted low voltage to the first and second electrical loads that use the first low voltage as the driving power when the first low voltage is maintained below a first preset threshold for more than a preset time. (Fig. 2)
Re Claim 5; AAPA discloses the first threshold voltage comprises 12.4v (Fig. 1)
Re Claims 7 and 14; AAPA discloses wherein the bidirectional converter is further configured to convert the first low voltage into the second low voltage and to supply the converted low voltage to the first and second electrical loads that use the second low voltage as the driving power when the second low voltage is maintained below a second preset threshold for more than a preset time. (Fig. 2)
Re Claim 8; AAPA discloses the first threshold voltage comprises 24.8V (Fig. 1)
Re Claim 9; AAPA discloses wherein performing the emergency supply comprises converting the first low voltage into the second low voltage and supplying the converted second low voltage to the at least two electrical loads that use the second low voltage as the driving power upon a determination that that the second low voltage is maintained below the second threshold value for more than the preset time. (Fig. 1)
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/05/2026 have been fully considered bApplicant'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.
ut they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments, see Page 1, filed 01/05/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-14 under 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Ke.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL KESSIE whose telephone number is (571)272-4449. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pmEst.
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/DANIEL KESSIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836