DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
Claims 1-25 are currently pending and have been examined in this application. This NON-FINAL communication is the first action on the merits.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/18/2024 and 09/05/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 objected to because of the following informalities: the typographical error “the battery pack is able to charged by a charger”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 1-7, 9, 11-13, 17-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishita (US 20180072374 A1) in view of Bowden et al. (US 20170255224 A1).
Regarding claim 1,
Kishita teaches:
A time display system for an electrically assisted vehicle, the time display system comprising:
a display; and
(Kishita – [0076] “In a time display area 73 in a lower right portion of the display screen of the liquid crystal panel 72, time is displayed. In FIG. 4, time “16:09” is displayed. In the present preferred embodiment, a microcomputer included in the operation panel 60 calculates the time and displays the time in the time display area 73.”)
at least one processor configured or programmed to:
(Kishita – [0080] “The controller 62 is preferably a microcontroller or a control circuit configured or programmed to control the operation of the operation panel 60, and is, for example, a semiconductor circuit.”)
cause the display to display a current time based on the time information.
(Kishita – [0050] “A detachable battery 36 that supplies electric power to the electric motor 33 and the like is mounted on the bracket 6.” [0104] “In step S110, an initial time display is performed. The controller 62 displays, for example, the time 12:00 in the time display area 73 as the initial time display. After the initial time display, the controller 62 starts updating the time to be displayed and stores the time update flag 75u, which indicates that the time is being updated, in the RAM 76b (step S111 and step S112). While the electric power is continued to be supplied from at least one of the detachable battery 36 and the built-in battery 61 to the controller 62, the time update flag 75u is maintained in the RAM 76b.”)
Kishita does not explicitly teach the following limitations, however, Bowden teaches:
acquire time information representing information on a time that is output by a battery pack
(Bowden – [0003] “In the vehicle context, the power is often provided by a battery (such as the vehicle's battery, or separately provided battery).” [0029] “FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system 100 for synchronizing a vehicular clock 115 according an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle may include an electronic processing system driven by an electronics control unit (ECU) 150. The ECU 150 serves as a conduit between various electrical systems, sensors, and processing components in the vehicle.” [0043] “The system 200 receives a current time 203 from the main ECU 150 (operation 340). In operation 350, a determination is made as to whether current time 203 matches the extracted time from the time extractor 230.”)
Kishita and Bowden are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are both in the same field of controlling the time display of a vehicle. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 2,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 1.
Bowden further teaches:
wherein the time information output by the battery pack represents current time.
(Bowden – [0043] “The system 200 receives a current time 203 from the main ECU 150 (operation 340). In operation 350, a determination is made as to whether current time 203 matches the extracted time from the time extractor 230.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 3,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 2.
Bowden further teaches:
wherein
the at least one processor is configured or programmed to:
acquire current time information representing the current time based on a current time setting operation performed by a user on the display; and
(Bowden – [0035] “In some instances the time 152 may be initially set via the main ECU 150, and the updating may be managed via the display 160 or the clock 165. In another instance, the clock 165 may be separately provided with an interface (either digital or analog) to set manually.”)
output the current time information to the battery pack; and
a processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to set the current time based on the current time information output by the at least one processor.
(Bowden – [0037] “The system 100 (which will be explained in greater detail below), transmits clock data 102 to the main ECU 150. The main ECU 150, employing the display driver 151, translates the clock data 102 to time information 152. The time information 152 is translated to a display 160, which is displayed on the clock 165.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 4,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 2.
Bowden further teaches:
wherein
the at least one processor is configured or programmed to:
acquire current time information representing the current time based on a current time setting operation performed by a user on the display; and
(Bowden – [0035] “In some instances the time 152 may be initially set via the main ECU 150, and the updating may be managed via the display 160 or the clock 165. In another instance, the clock 165 may be separately provided with an interface (either digital or analog) to set manually.”)
output the current time information to the battery pack; and
a processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to reset the current time to be calculated based on the current time information output by the at least one processor.
(Bowden – [0037] “The system 100 (which will be explained in greater detail below), transmits clock data 102 to the main ECU 150. The main ECU 150, employing the display driver 151, translates the clock data 102 to time information 152. The time information 152 is translated to a display 160, which is displayed on the clock 165.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 5,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 1.
Bowden further teaches:
wherein
the time information output by the battery pack represents a first value of time that is not current time; and
the at least one processor is configured or programmed to calculate the current time based on the first value and a second value that converts the first value into the current time.
(Bowden – [0043] “The system 200 receives a current time 203 from the main ECU 150 (operation 340). In operation 350, a determination is made as to whether current time 203 matches the extracted time from the time extractor 230. The system 200 may be programmed with a predetermined threshold or tolerance, and in response to the current time 203 not matching the extracted time, the time communicator 240 may communicate the new time data 204 to the main ECU 150 (in method 300, the transition from operation 350 to operation 360).” [0044] “Accordingly, the main ECU 150 may be programmed to receive the new time data 204, and re-adjust a system clock accordingly. Thus, the occupant/user/passenger associated with the vehicle may not be required to press any time setting buttons, and the process may be fully automated based on an initiation of a pairing between a vehicle's computer system and a secondary device.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 6,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 5.
Bowden further teaches:
wherein the time information output by the battery pack represents the second value.
(Bowden – [0043] “The system 200 receives a current time 203 from the main ECU 150 (operation 340). In operation 350, a determination is made as to whether current time 203 matches the extracted time from the time extractor 230. The system 200 may be programmed with a predetermined threshold or tolerance, and in response to the current time 203 not matching the extracted time, the time communicator 240 may communicate the new time data 204 to the main ECU 150 (in method 300, the transition from operation 350 to operation 360). If the time is correct, based on the determination in operation 350, the method 300 may proceed to END 370.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 7,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 5.
Bowden further teaches:
further comprising:
a storage to store information representing the second value; wherein
(Bowden – [0040] “The data receiver 220 receives data 202 from the secondary device 120 (operation 320). The data 202 may be any sort of message packet or header information. Communication messages/packets may often times have time information associated with each message.” [0041] “Thus, the system 200 also includes a time extractor 230 that extracts the time from the data 202 (operation 330). The data info 202 received may be processed and analyzed, with the time associated with said message being extracted.”)
the at least one processor is configured or programmed to read the information from the storage and calculate the current time based on the information representing the second value.
(Bowden – [0060] “A computer storage medium can be, or can be included in, a computer-readable storage device, a computer-readable storage substrate, or a random or serial access memory. The computer storage medium can also be, or can be included in, one or more separate tangible components or media such as multiple CDs, disks, or other storage devices. The computer storage medium does not include a transitory signal.” [0041] “Thus, the system 200 also includes a time extractor 230 that extracts the time from the data 202 (operation 330). The data info 202 received may be processed and analyzed, with the time associated with said message being extracted.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 9,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 5.
Kishita further teaches:
wherein the first value is a counted value acquired by a processor of the battery pack and representing time counted by the processor.
(Kishita – [0084] “The controller 62 calculates the time and displays the time in the time display area 73 of the liquid crystal panel 72. The controller 62 uses a counter 78 to calculate the time. The controller 62 uses a clock signal supplied from the oscillator 74, or a frequency-divided signal obtained as a result of the frequency of the clock signal being divided, to count up the value of the counter 78. The controller 62 converts the count value to actual time.”)
Regarding claim 11,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 6.
Bowden further teaches:
further comprising:
a processor of the battery pack configured or programmed to output information representing the first value to the at least one processor; wherein
the at least one processor is configured or programmed to:
acquire current time information representing the current time based on a current time setting operation performed by a user on the display;
(Bowden – [0035] “In some instances the time 152 may be initially set via the main ECU 150, and the updating may be managed via the display 160 or the clock 165. In another instance, the clock 165 may be separately provided with an interface (either digital or analog) to set manually.”)
calculate the second value based on the acquired current time information and the first value acquired from the battery pack; and
(Bowden – [0036] “In FIG. 1, the system 100 is in communication with both the telematics ECU 110 and the main ECU 150. System 100 is separately shown from the telematics ECU 110 and the main ECU 150. This is done for exemplary purposes, and in various implementations may be incorporated in either ECU systems shown in FIG. 1, or in another portion of the vehicle's electronic system (not shown).” [0037] “The system 100 (which will be explained in greater detail below), transmits clock data 102 to the main ECU 150. The main ECU 150, employing the display driver 151, translates the clock data 102 to time information 152. The time information 152 is translated to a display 160, which is displayed on the clock 165.”)
output information representing the calculated second value to the battery pack; and
the processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to acquire the information from the at least one processor and set the second value to be used to calculate current time based on the information representing the second value.
(Bowden – [0043] “The system 200 receives a current time 203 from the main ECU 150 (operation 340). In operation 350, a determination is made as to whether current time 203 matches the extracted time from the time extractor 230. The system 200 may be programmed with a predetermined threshold or tolerance, and in response to the current time 203 not matching the extracted time, the time communicator 240 may communicate the new time data 204 to the main ECU 150 (in method 300, the transition from operation 350 to operation 360). If the time is correct, based on the determination in operation 350, the method 300 may proceed to END 370.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 12,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 5.
Bowden further teaches:
further comprising:
a processor of the battery pack configured or programmed to output information representing the first value to the at least one processor; wherein
the at least one processor is configured or programmed to:
acquire current time information representing the current time based on a current time setting operation performed by a user on the display;
(Bowden – [0035] “In some instances the time 152 may be initially set via the main ECU 150, and the updating may be managed via the display 160 or the clock 165. In another instance, the clock 165 may be separately provided with an interface (either digital or analog) to set manually.”)
calculate the second value based on the current time information and the first value acquired from the battery pack; and
(Bowden – [0036] “In FIG. 1, the system 100 is in communication with both the telematics ECU 110 and the main ECU 150. System 100 is separately shown from the telematics ECU 110 and the main ECU 150. This is done for exemplary purposes, and in various implementations may be incorporated in either ECU systems shown in FIG. 1, or in another portion of the vehicle's electronic system (not shown).” [0037] “The system 100 (which will be explained in greater detail below), transmits clock data 102 to the main ECU 150. The main ECU 150, employing the display driver 151, translates the clock data 102 to time information 152. The time information 152 is translated to a display 160, which is displayed on the clock 165.”)
output information representing the calculated second value to the battery pack; and
the processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to reset the second value to be used to calculate current time to the second value acquired from the at least one processor.
(Bowden – [0043] “The system 200 receives a current time 203 from the main ECU 150 (operation 340). In operation 350, a determination is made as to whether current time 203 matches the extracted time from the time extractor 230. The system 200 may be programmed with a predetermined threshold or tolerance, and in response to the current time 203 not matching the extracted time, the time communicator 240 may communicate the new time data 204 to the main ECU 150 (in method 300, the transition from operation 350 to operation 360). If the time is correct, based on the determination in operation 350, the method 300 may proceed to END 370.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 13,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 1.
Kishita further teaches:
wherein in a case where the time information cannot be acquired from the battery pack, the at least one processor is configured or programmed to not cause the display to display any current time.
(Kishita – [0030] “In a state where the electrically power assisted bicycle is in the power-off state, the controller is configured or programmed to calculate time by using the electric power supplied from the built-in battery. When the remaining capacity of the built-in battery becomes insufficient, the controller is not able to calculate the time any more. In the case where the electrically power assisted bicycle is turned on from the power-off state in this state and the electric power is supplied from the detachable battery to the controller, the controller is configured or programmed to display, in the time display area, the information indicating that the remaining capacity of the built-in battery is insufficient.”)
Regarding claim 17,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 2.
Bowden further teaches:
wherein
the at least one processor is configured or programmed to:
acquire current time information representing the current time from an external device; and
(Bowden – [0040] “The data receiver 220 receives data 202 from the secondary device 120 (operation 320). The data 202 may be any sort of message packet or header information. Communication messages/packets may often times have time information associated with each message.” [0041] “Thus, the system 200 also includes a time extractor 230 that extracts the time from the data 202 (operation 330). The data info 202 received may be processed and analyzed, with the time associated with said message being extracted.”)
output the current time information to the battery pack; and
(Bowden – [0042] “In one implementation of system 200 and method 300, the extracted time 204 may be communicated to the main ECU 150 (operation 360). In another implementation, the system 200 may include the operations in 340 and 350.” [0043] “The system 200 receives a current time 203 from the main ECU 150 (operation 340). In operation 350, a determination is made as to whether current time 203 matches the extracted time from the time extractor 230. The system 200 may be programmed with a predetermined threshold or tolerance, and in response to the current time 203 not matching the extracted time, the time communicator 240 may communicate the new time data 204 to the main ECU 150 (in method 300, the transition from operation 350 to operation 360).”)
a processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to reset the current time to be calculated based on the current time information output by the at least one processor.
(Bowden – [0044] “Accordingly, the main ECU 150 may be programmed to receive the new time data 204, and re-adjust a system clock accordingly. Thus, the occupant/user/passenger associated with the vehicle may not be required to press any time setting buttons, and the process may be fully automated based on an initiation of a pairing between a vehicle's computer system and a secondary device.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 18,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 6.
Bowden further teaches:
further comprising:
a processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to output information representing the first value to the at least one processor; wherein
the at least one processor is configured or programmed to:
acquire current time information representing the current time from an external device;
(Bowden – [0040] “The data receiver 220 receives data 202 from the secondary device 120 (operation 320). The data 202 may be any sort of message packet or header information. Communication messages/packets may often times have time information associated with each message.” [0041] “Thus, the system 200 also includes a time extractor 230 that extracts the time from the data 202 (operation 330). The data info 202 received may be processed and analyzed, with the time associated with said message being extracted.”)
calculate the second value based on the current time information acquired from the external device and the first value acquired from the battery pack; and
output the calculated second value to the battery pack; and
(Bowden – [0042] “In one implementation of system 200 and method 300, the extracted time 204 may be communicated to the main ECU 150 (operation 360). In another implementation, the system 200 may include the operations in 340 and 350.” [0043] “The system 200 receives a current time 203 from the main ECU 150 (operation 340). In operation 350, a determination is made as to whether current time 203 matches the extracted time from the time extractor 230. The system 200 may be programmed with a predetermined threshold or tolerance, and in response to the current time 203 not matching the extracted time, the time communicator 240 may communicate the new time data 204 to the main ECU 150 (in method 300, the transition from operation 350 to operation 360).”)
the processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to reset the second value to be used to calculate current time to the second value acquired from the at least one processor.
(Bowden – [0044] “Accordingly, the main ECU 150 may be programmed to receive the new time data 204, and re-adjust a system clock accordingly. Thus, the occupant/user/passenger associated with the vehicle may not be required to press any time setting buttons, and the process may be fully automated based on an initiation of a pairing between a vehicle's computer system and a secondary device.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 19,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 2.
Bowden further teaches:
further comprising:
a processor of the battery pack configured or programmed to:
acquire current time information representing the current time from an external device; and
(Bowden – [0040] “The data receiver 220 receives data 202 from the secondary device 120 (operation 320). The data 202 may be any sort of message packet or header information. Communication messages/packets may often times have time information associated with each message.” [0041] “Thus, the system 200 also includes a time extractor 230 that extracts the time from the data 202 (operation 330). The data info 202 received may be processed and analyzed, with the time associated with said message being extracted.”)
reset the current time to be calculated based on the current time information acquired from the external device.
(Bowden – [0042] “In one implementation of system 200 and method 300, the extracted time 204 may be communicated to the main ECU 150 (operation 360). In another implementation, the system 200 may include the operations in 340 and 350.” [0043] “The system 200 receives a current time 203 from the main ECU 150 (operation 340). In operation 350, a determination is made as to whether current time 203 matches the extracted time from the time extractor 230. The system 200 may be programmed with a predetermined threshold or tolerance, and in response to the current time 203 not matching the extracted time, the time communicator 240 may communicate the new time data 204 to the main ECU 150 (in method 300, the transition from operation 350 to operation 360).”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 20,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 6.
Bowden further teaches:
further comprising:
a processor of the battery pack configured or programmed to output the first value to an external device;
a processor of the external device configured or programmed to:
(Bowden – [0032] “Essentially data 101 is shared from a secondary device 120 to the telematics ECU 110 via the paired connection 125. The data 101 includes information associated with the secondary device 120 intended to be used by the main ECU 150. As explained above, the data 101 may be personal media. In another example, the data 101 may be information employed to allow the mobile/communication functions of the secondary device 120 to be used by the main ECU 150 and the various peripheral devices connected thereto.”)
calculate the second value based on the current time and the first value output by the battery pack; and
(Bowden – [0040] “The data receiver 220 receives data 202 from the secondary device 120 (operation 320). The data 202 may be any sort of message packet or header information. Communication messages/packets may often times have time information associated with each message.” [0041] “Thus, the system 200 also includes a time extractor 230 that extracts the time from the data 202 (operation 330). The data info 202 received may be processed and analyzed, with the time associated with said message being extracted.”)
output the second value to the battery pack; and
the processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to reset the second value to be used to calculate current time to the second value output by the external device.
(Bowden – [0042] “In one implementation of system 200 and method 300, the extracted time 204 may be communicated to the main ECU 150 (operation 360). In another implementation, the system 200 may include the operations in 340 and 350.” [0043] “The system 200 receives a current time 203 from the main ECU 150 (operation 340). In operation 350, a determination is made as to whether current time 203 matches the extracted time from the time extractor 230. The system 200 may be programmed with a predetermined threshold or tolerance, and in response to the current time 203 not matching the extracted time, the time communicator 240 may communicate the new time data 204 to the main ECU 150 (in method 300, the transition from operation 350 to operation 360).”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Kishita and Bowden to include correcting a time display in order to avoid an inaccurate clock that may frustrate the occupant of a vehicle as well as potentially make for a dangerous driving situation (Bowden, para. [0027]).
Regarding claim 21,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 1.
Kishita further teaches:
wherein
a plurality of battery packs are mounted on the electrically assisted vehicle; and
the at least one processor is configured or programmed to acquire the time information from one of the plurality of battery packs.
(Kishita – [0104] “In step S110, an initial time display is performed. The controller 62 displays, for example, the time 12:00 in the time display area 73 as the initial time display. After the initial time display, the controller 62 starts updating the time to be displayed and stores the time update flag 75u, which indicates that the time is being updated, in the RAM 76b (step S111 and step S112). While the electric power is continued to be supplied from at least one of the detachable battery 36 and the built-in battery 61 to the controller 62, the time update flag 75u is maintained in the RAM 76b.”)
Regarding claim 22,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 1.
Kishita further teaches:
wherein
a plurality of battery packs are mounted on the electrically assisted vehicle; and
(Kishita – [0104] “In step S110, an initial time display is performed. The controller 62 displays, for example, the time 12:00 in the time display area 73 as the initial time display. After the initial time display, the controller 62 starts updating the time to be displayed and stores the time update flag 75u, which indicates that the time is being updated, in the RAM 76b (step S111 and step S112). While the electric power is continued to be supplied from at least one of the detachable battery 36 and the built-in battery 61 to the controller 62, the time update flag 75u is maintained in the RAM 76b.”)
in a case where the plurality of battery packs include a battery pack in which current time is set and a battery pack in which no current time is set, a processor of the battery pack in which no current time is set is configured or programmed to:
acquire current time information representing the current time from a processor of the battery pack in which the current time is set; and
set the current time based on the current time information.
(Kishita – [0030] “In a state where the electrically power assisted bicycle is in the power-off state, the controller is configured or programmed to calculate time by using the electric power supplied from the built-in battery. When the remaining capacity of the built-in battery becomes insufficient, the controller is not able to calculate the time any more. In the case where the electrically power assisted bicycle is turned on from the power-off state in this state and the electric power is supplied from the detachable battery to the controller, the controller is configured or programmed to display, in the time display area, the information indicating that the remaining capacity of the built-in battery is insufficient.”)
Regarding claim 23,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 1.
Kishita further teaches:
wherein
a plurality of battery packs are mounted on the electrically assisted vehicle; and
in a case where the plurality of battery packs include a battery pack in which current time is set and a battery pack in which no current time is set, the at least one processor is configured or programmed to:
(Kishita – [0012] “In a state where the detachable battery is detached from the electrically power assisted bicycle, the controller is configured or programmed to calculate the time by using the electric power supplied from the built-in battery. In the case where the remaining capacity of the built-in battery becomes insufficient, the controller does not calculate the time any more.”.”)
acquire current time information representing the current time from a processor of the battery pack in which the current time is set; and
output the current time information to a processor of the battery pack in which no current time is set; and
the processor of the battery pack in which no current time is set is configured or programmed to set the current time based on the current time information.
(Kishita – [0030] “In a state where the electrically power assisted bicycle is in the power-off state, the controller is configured or programmed to calculate time by using the electric power supplied from the built-in battery. When the remaining capacity of the built-in battery becomes insufficient, the controller is not able to calculate the time any more. In the case where the electrically power assisted bicycle is turned on from the power-off state in this state and the electric power is supplied from the detachable battery to the controller, the controller is configured or programmed to display, in the time display area, the information indicating that the remaining capacity of the built-in battery is insufficient.”)
Regarding claim 24,
Claim 24 recites a method comprising substantially the same limitation as claim 1 above, therefore it is rejected for the same reasons.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishita (US 20180072374 A1) in view of Bowden et al. (US 20170255224 A1) and in further view of Treharne (US 20190176632 A1).
Regarding claim 8,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 5.
The combination of Kishita and Bowden does not explicitly teach the following limitations, however, Treharne teaches:
further comprising:
a storage to store table information representing a relationship between individual information of the battery pack and the second value; wherein
the at least one processor is configured or programmed to:
acquire the individual information output by the battery pack; and
acquire the second value to be used to calculate the current time based on the individual information and the table information.
(Treharne – [0028] “In some examples, a plurality of lookup tables is stored in a memory including different current-time relationships that each correspond to a particular recharge profile. The controller may be programmed to store a plurality of expected current-time relationships and recall a particular recharge profile based on the vehicle operating conditions. Such profiles may be used to estimate both of an appropriate recharge current to be supplied to the battery, as well as a remaining charge time while the battery is near an SOC recharge limit or a voltage recharge limit.”)
Treharne is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of an electric vehicle. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Kishita and Bowden with Treharne to include a table to calculate the current time in order to estimate an appropriate remaining charge time (Treharne, para. [0028]).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishita (US 20180072374 A1) in view of Bowden et al. (US 20170255224 A1) and in further view of Mazzara, Jr. et al. (US 20040203951 A1).
Regarding claim 10,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 5.
The combination of Kishita and Bowden does not explicitly teach the following limitations, however, Mazzara teaches:
wherein the second value is an offset value.
(Mazzara – [0020] “Mobile vehicle 110 via telematics unit 130 sends and receives radio transmissions from wireless carrier system 160. Wireless carrier system 160 is any suitable system for transmitting a signal from mobile vehicle 110 to other communication and telephone networks. Wireless carrier system 160 may send a synchronization-channel message including a system time and a local time offset to in-vehicle mobile phone 140 embedded within telematics unit 130.”)
Mazzara is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of displaying the time for a vehicle. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Kishita and Bowden with Mazzara to include an offset value in order to give an accurate local time to a vehicle and automatically synchronize an in-vehicle clock (Mazzara, para. [0005]).
Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishita (US 20180072374 A1) in view of Bowden et al. (US 20170255224 A1) and in further view of Horfurter (US 20240174111 A1).
Regarding claim 14,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 2.
Kishita further teaches:
wherein
the battery pack is able to be charged by a charger;
(Kishita – [0050] “The detachable battery 36 may be supported by the seat tube 16. The detachable battery 36 is attachable to, and detachable from, the electrically power assisted bicycle 1. In a state where the detachable battery 36 is detached from the electrically power assisted bicycle 1, the detachable battery 36 is connected with an external charger (not shown) to be charged.”)
The combination of Kishita and Bowden does not explicitly teach the following limitations, however, Horfurter teaches:
a processor of the charger is configured or programmed to output current time information representing the current time to the battery pack; and
the processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to set the current time based on the current time information output by the charger.
(Horfurter – [0071] “The communication module is in particular configured to receive a current time of day as an in particular encrypted digital time stamp during an operation of the charging station, and/or to transmit a unique user identification to a charging station data center, and/or to receive a release of an energy transfer from the charging station data center, in particular based on the unique user identification, and/or to transmit the charging process data set to the charging station data center.”)
Horfurter is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of communicating time information with an electric vehicle charger. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Kishita and Bowden with Horfurter to include time information output by the charger in order to advantageously adjust the meter time before the start of energy transfer to account for clock drifts (Horfurter, para. [0005]).
Regarding claim 15,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 2.
Kishita further teaches:
wherein
the battery pack is able to charged by a charger;
(Kishita – [0050] “The detachable battery 36 may be supported by the seat tube 16. The detachable battery 36 is attachable to, and detachable from, the electrically power assisted bicycle 1. In a state where the detachable battery 36 is detached from the electrically power assisted bicycle 1, the detachable battery 36 is connected with an external charger (not shown) to be charged.”)
The combination of Kishita and Bowden does not explicitly teach the following limitations, however, Horfurter teaches:
a processor of the charger is configured or programmed to output current time information representing the current time to the battery pack; and
the processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to reset the current time to be calculated based on the current time information output by the charger.
(Horfurter – [0071] “The communication module is in particular configured to receive a current time of day as an in particular encrypted digital time stamp during an operation of the charging station, and/or to transmit a unique user identification to a charging station data center, and/or to receive a release of an energy transfer from the charging station data center, in particular based on the unique user identification, and/or to transmit the charging process data set to the charging station data center.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Kishita and Bowden with Horfurter to include time information output by the charger in order to advantageously adjust the meter time before the start of energy transfer to account for clock drifts (Horfurter, para. [0005]).
Regarding claim 16,
The combination of Kishita and Bowden teaches the limitations of claim 6.
Kishita further teaches:
wherein
the battery pack is able to be charged by a charger;
(Kishita – [0050] “The detachable battery 36 may be supported by the seat tube 16. The detachable battery 36 is attachable to, and detachable from, the electrically power assisted bicycle 1. In a state where the detachable battery 36 is detached from the electrically power assisted bicycle 1, the detachable battery 36 is connected with an external charger (not shown) to be charged.”)
The combination of Kishita and Bowden does not explicitly teach the following limitations, however, Horfurter teaches:
a processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to output information representing the first value to the charger;
(Horfurter – [0090] “In a first operating step B1, a current time of day is received by the charging station 1 as a digital time stamp 21. The current time of day is in particular received in an encrypted manner as a digital time stamp 21. The current time of day is particularly preferably received as a signed digital time stamp 21.”)
a processor of the charger is configured or programmed to:
calculate the second value based on the current time and the first value acquired from the battery pack; and
(Horfurter – [0099] “In a first second charging step L2.1., a charging station time of day 26 is preferably adjusted on the basis of the digital time stamp 21, in particular in that the digital time stamp 21 is set as a current value of the charging station time of day 26. In a second second charging step L2.2, a charging station time stamp 27 is further created on the basis of the charging station time of day 26. In a third second charging step L2.3, the charging station time stamp 27 is further transmitted to the digital electricity meter 3. In a fourth second charging step L2.4, the meter time of day 23 is subsequently adjusted in that the charging station time stamp 27 is set as a current value of the meter time of day 23.”)
output information representing the calculated second value to the battery pack; and
the processor of the battery pack is configured or programmed to reset the second value to be used to calculate current time to the second value acquired from the charger.
(Horfurter – [0071] “The communication module is in particular configured to receive a current time of day as an in particular encrypted digital time stamp during an operation of the charging station, and/or to transmit a unique user identification to a charging station data center, and/or to receive a release of an energy transfer from the charging station data center, in particular based on the unique user identification, and/or to transmit the charging process data set to the charging station data center.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Kishita and Bowden with Horfurter to include time information output by the charger in order to advantageously adjust the meter time before the start of energy transfer to account for clock drifts (Horfurter, para. [0005]).
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishita (US 20180072374 A1) in view of Kamijoh et al. (US 20230291221 A1).
Regarding claim 25,
Kishita teaches:
A battery pack to supply electric power to an electric motor of an electrically assisted vehicle, the battery pack comprising:
a processor configured or programmed to calculate current time; wherein
(Kishita – [0080] “The controller 62 is preferably a microcontroller or a control circuit configured or programmed to control the operation of the operation panel 60, and is, for example, a semiconductor circuit.”)
the processor is configured or programmed to output time information representing the current time to a processor configured or programmed to control a display of the electrically assisted vehicle.
(Kishita – [0104] “In step S110, an initial time display is performed. The controller 62 displays, for example, the time 12:00 in the time display area 73 as the initial time display. After the initial time display, the controller 62 starts updating the time to be displayed and stores the time update flag 75u, which indicates that the time is being updated, in the RAM 76b (step S111 and step S112). While the electric power is continued to be supplied from at least one of the detachable battery 36 and the built-in battery 61 to the controller 62, the time update flag 75u is maintained in the RAM 76b.”)
Kishita does not explicitly teach the following limitation, however, Kamijoh teaches:
a plurality of battery cells; and
(Kamijoh – [0029] “The secondary battery 201 is, for example, an assembly of battery modules each including a plurality of single cells, what is called an assembled battery. The battery module includes a plurality of series-connected single cells housed in a box. The battery modules are further connected in series or parallel, and each serve as one component of an assembled battery.”)
Kamijoh is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of displaying the time for an electric vehicle. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kishita with Kamijoh to include a battery with a plurality of battery cells to improve battery management.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure or directed to the state of the art is listed on the enclosed PTO-892.
The following is a brief description for relevant prior art that was cited but not applied:
Mitsuyama et al. (US 20240250321 A1) discloses a charge/discharge instruction unit calculates the charge/discharge amount for each power type up to the current time point in the current time zone based on the integrated value of the amount of power acquired in step and the charge plan and the discharge plan acquired in steps and, respectively, stores the calculation result in the power-type-based charge/discharge history table and wirelessly transmits the same data to the target battery package via the communication device.
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/M.G.H./Examiner, Art Unit 3668 /JAMES J LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3668