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 § 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.
Claims 8 and 19 recites the limitation " the EV charge controller " in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weicker (US 2018/0126860) in view of Westbrock (US 7,453,267).
Regarding claim 1, Weicker teaches an electrical vehicle charging device (see Fig. 1) comprising: wherein the main breaker panel is providing current to at least the electrical vehicle charging device (see 116, Fig. 1); and a microcontroller including instructions for reducing the current draw of the electrical charger when the current reading from the ammeter (see 102, para 0018, Fig. 1) reaches a threshold value for avoiding throwing the main disconnect breaker of the main breaker panel.
However, Weicker does not disclose a sub-G communication module for receiving current reading from an ammeter connected to a main breaker panel that is separate from the electric vehicle charging device and that is received by the sub-G communication module.
Yet, Westbrock in the same filed teaches a sub-G communication module for receiving current reading from an ammeter connected to a main breaker panel that is separate from the electric vehicle charging device (see 125, 150, 155; Figs. 1 and 2; Col 7 line 55-67).
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 Weicker with the teachings of Westbrock having a sub-G communication module for receiving current reading from an ammeter connected to a main breaker panel that is separate from the electric vehicle charging device in order to provide fast communication during outages.
Regarding claim 2, the combination teaches wherein the electrical vehicle charging device further comprises an alert communication module that sends an alert signal to a computing device of a user indicating the current drawn from the main breaker pane is approaching the threshold voltage (see para 0029; Weicker).
Regarding claim 3, the combination teaches wherein the electrical lines from which current is drawn from the main breaker panel include branch supply wires that are in electrical communication with the electrical vehicle charging device and elements of a domicile housing the main breaker panel that are also drawing current (see Fig. 1 para 0019, … , the electrical supply circuit 110 may be configured to provide power to one or more additional loads 140, such as other household appliances, through additional subsidiary circuits…; Weicker).
Regarding claim 4, the combination teaches wherein the elements of the domicile housing the main breaker panel that are said drawing current are selected from the group consisting of electric ovens, electric ranges, dishwashers, central air conditioning equipment, electric central heating equipment, clothes dryers, refrigerators, pool pumps, pool heaters, hot tub pumps, hot tub heaters, and combinations thereof (see Fig. 1 para 0019, … , the electrical supply circuit 110 may be configured to provide power to one or more additional loads 140, such as other household appliances, through additional subsidiary circuits…; Weicker).
Regarding claim 5, the combination teaches wherein the sub-G communication module broadcast signal along a range of 315 Mhz to 915 Mhz (see 125, 150, 155; Figs. 1 and 2; Col 7 line 55-67; Westbrock {Zigbee operates in three unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) radio frequency bands: the global 2.4 GHz band (16 channels), the North American 915 MHz band (10 channels), and the European 868 MHz band (1 single channel)}).
Regarding claims 6 and 17, The combination teaches the electrical vehicle charging device of claim 1 and the method of claim 11.
Yet does not disclose wherein the sub-G communication module broadcast signal at 433 Mhz.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the sub-G communication module broadcast signal at 433 Mhz, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272,205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Regarding claim 7, the combination teaches wherein the threshold value for avoiding throwing the main disconnect breaker is 80% of the maximum current rating for the main breaker (para 0029-0032; Weicker).
Regarding claim 8, the combination teaches wherein said reducing the current draw of the electrical charger is controlled using the EV charge controller (see 102 para 0018 and 0019;…The EVSE 101 may include a processor 102 configured to monitor currents detected by any of current sensors 114 and 115, determine allowable charging currents, or perform any other processing tasks related to control of vehicle charging… and …The EVSE 101 may be configured to use feedback from the current sensor 114 to safely maximize and/or increase the charging current drawn by the PEV and decrease the time required to charge the PEV…; Weicker).
Regarding claim 9, the combination teaches wherein the alert communication module is provided by a wireless signal selected from the group consisting of WiFi (IEEE 802.11), Zigbee, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), cellular standards and combinations thereof (see para 0021…. Current measurements may be stored at the sensor 114 and/or may be transmitted…The current sensor 114 may communicate with the EVSE 101 wirelessly or through a wired connection; Weicker).
Regarding claim 10, the combination teaches wherein the ammeter comprises two non-contact current transformers reading a service entrance panel (see para 0021 …For example, the current sensor 114 may be a Hall effect current sensor, clamp meter, transformer, Rogowski coil, fiber optic current sensor, or any other type of current sensor. The current sensor 114 may be configured to continuously and/or repeatedly monitor the total current flowing to and/or from the electrical supply circuit 110 through the main breaker 116…; Weicker).
Regarding claim 12, the combination teaches wherein the ammeter comprises two non-contact current transformers reading a service entrance panel (see 114 para 0021 …For example, the current sensor 114 may be a Hall effect current sensor, clamp meter, transformer, Rogowski coil, fiber optic current sensor, or any other type of current sensor. The current sensor 114 may be configured to continuously and/or repeatedly monitor the total current flowing to and/or from the electrical supply circuit 110 through the main breaker 116…; Weicker).
Regarding claim 13, the combination teaches sending an alert signal from the electrical vehicle device using an alert communications module to a computing device of a user indicating the current drawn from the main breaker panel is approaching the threshold voltage (see para 0029; Weicker).
Regarding claim 14, the combination teaches wherein the current measurements are from electrical lines through which current is drawn from the main breaker panel that are in electrical communication with the electrical vehicle charging device as well as elements of a domicile housing the main breaker panel and drawing current from the main breaker panel (see Fig. 1 para 0019, … , the electrical supply circuit 110 may be configured to provide power to one or more additional loads 140, such as other household appliances, through additional subsidiary circuits…; Weicker).
Regarding claim 15, the combination teaches wherein the elements of the domicile housing the main breaker panel that are said drawing current are selected from the group consisting of electric ovens, electric ranges, dishwashers, central air conditioning equipment, electric central heating equipment, clothes dryers, refrigerators, pool pumps, pool heaters, hot tub pumps, hot tub heaters, and combinations thereof (see Fig. 1 para 0019, … , the electrical supply circuit 110 may be configured to provide power to one or more additional loads 140, such as other household appliances, through additional subsidiary circuits…; Weicker).
Regarding claim 16, the combination teaches wherein the sub-G communication module broadcast signal along a range of 315 Mhz to 915 Mhz. (see 125, 150, 155; Figs. 1 and 2; Col 7 line 55-67; Westbrock {Zigbee operates in three unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) radio frequency bands: the global 2.4 GHz band (16 channels), the North American 915 MHz band (10 channels), and the European 868 MHz band (1 single channel}).
Regarding claim 18, the combination teaches wherein the threshold value for avoiding throwing the main disconnect breaker is 80% of the maximum current rating for the main breaker (para 0029-0032; Weicker).
Regarding claim 19, the combination teaches wherein said reducing the current draw of the electrical charger is controlled using the EV charge controller, and wherein the alert communication module is provided by a wireless signal selected from the group consisting of WiFi (IEEE 802.11), Zigbee, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), cellular standards and combinations thereof (see para 0021…. Current measurements may be stored at the sensor 114 and/or may be transmitted…; Weicker)
Regarding claim 20, Weicker teaches a computer program product is provided for electrical vehicle charging comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor (see para 0042) to: receive, using the processor, current measurements at the electric vehicle charging device with from an ammeter (see 102, para 0018, Fig. 1) that is connected to a main breaker panel that is separate from the electric vehicle charging device (see Fig. 1), wherein the main breaker panel provides current to at least the electrical vehicle charging device; and reducing, using the processor, the current draw of the electrical charger when the current measurements from the ammeter reaches a threshold value to avoiding throwing a main disconnect breaker of the main breaker panel (see 102 para 0018 and 0019;…The EVSE 101 may include a processor 102 configured to monitor currents detected by any of current sensors 114 and 115, determine allowable charging currents, or perform any other processing tasks related to control of vehicle charging… and …The EVSE 101 may be configured to use feedback from the current sensor 114 to safely maximize and/or increase the charging current drawn by the PEV and decrease the time required to charge the PEV…).
However, Weicker does not disclose a sub-G communication module.
Yet, Westbrock in the same filed teaches a sub-G communication module.
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 Weicker with the teachings of Westbrock having a sub-G communication module 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 Weicker with the teachings of Westbrock having a sub-G communication module 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 Weicker with the teachings of Westbrock having a sub-G communication module.
/ELIM ORTIZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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