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 .
DETAILED ACTION
The following is a Non-Final Office Action in response to communications received February 5, 2025. Claims 1-12 remain pending and examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
When considering subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101, (1) it must be determined whether the claim is directed to one of the four statutory categories of invention, i.e., process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter. If the claim does fall within one of the statutory categories, (2a) it must then be determined whether the claim is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., law of nature, natural phenomenon, and abstract idea), and if so (2b), it must additionally be determined whether the claim is a patent-eligible application of the exception. If an abstract idea is present in the claim, any element or combination of elements in the claim must be sufficient to ensure that the claim amounts to significantly more than the abstract idea itself. Examples of abstract ideas include fundamental economic practices; certain methods of organizing human activities; an idea itself; and mathematical relationships/formulas. Alice Corporation Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank International, et al., 573 U.S. ____ (2014).
(Step 1) The claims recite a system. For the purposes of this analysis, representative claim 1 is addressed.
(Step 2A, prong 1) The claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e. an abstract idea) without significantly more.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s) a charge power-supply management system for managing charge of a power storage device mounted on a target mobile object and power supply from the power storage device, comprising: a target information acquirer that acquires target information including information on a current location of the target mobile object and a state of the power storage device; a facility information acquirer that extracts, as a power supply requesting facility, a facility having requested the power supply from a plurality of facilities in a target area including the current location and acquires power supply requesting facility information on the power supply requesting facility; a margin determinator that determines a presence or absence of a power supply margin in the power storage device based on the target information; a movement cost calculator that calculates, as a mobile power-supply cost, a cost borne by a target user of the target mobile object for movement of the target mobile object between the current location and the power supply requesting facility; a user benefit calculator that calculates, as a mobile power-supply benefit, a benefit that can be obtained by the target user in a case of the power supply from the power storage device to the power supply requesting facility; and a plan transmitter that transmits a mobile power-supply plan generated based on the target information and the power supply requesting facility information to a target terminal of the target user or the target mobile object in a case where it is determined that the power storage device has the power supply margin and the mobile power-supply benefit is greater than the mobile power-supply cost. The portion in bold recites an abstract idea and is akin to the subject matter groupings of “certain methods of organizing human activity”, and “fundamental economic principles or practices (including insurance, mitigating risk)”. Mitigating risk is a fundamental economic practice long prevalent in commerce systems. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers a fundamental economic principle or practice but for the general linking to a technological environment, then it falls within the organizing human activity grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the claims (independent and dependent) do not contain limitations that are indicative of integration into a practical application but merely adds the words “apply it” (or an equivalent). Adding the words “Apply it” (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea - see MPEP 2106.05(f).
(Step 2A prong 2) The additional elements are considered as follows:
“charge of a power storage device mounted on a target mobile object and power supply from the power storage device” This is generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use (power storage) – see MPEP 2106.05(h).
“a target information acquirer that acquires target information including information on a current location of the target mobile object and a state of the power storage device” This is an extra solution activity, akin to data gathering.
“a facility information acquirer that extracts, as a power supply requesting facility, a facility having requested the power supply from a plurality of facilities in a target area including the current location and acquires power supply requesting facility information on the power supply requesting facility” This is an extra solution activity, akin to data gathering.
“a user benefit calculator” This is merely “apply it” this sever is claimed at a high level of generality, it receives the information, performs the abstract idea, and outputs the results.
“a plan transmitter that transmits a mobile power-supply plan” This is an extra solution activity, akin to data gathering and data transmitting.
Other than reciting the use of a computer, processor, memory device, a sensor, device, a display, and a server with the judicial exceptions, the claims merely use instructions to implement the abstract idea on a computer or merely uses a processor as a tool to perform the abstract ideas. As such, the claims include an abstract idea. When considered as a whole, the claims (independent and dependent) do not integrate the exception into a practical application.
(Step 2B) This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. Limitations that are not indicative of integration into a practical application include: (1) Adding the words “apply it” (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea (MPEP 2106.05.f), (2) Adding insignificant extra-solution activity to the judicial exception (MPEP 2106.05.g), (3) Generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use (MPEP 2106.05.h). The dependent claims have also been examined and do not correct the deficiencies of the independent claims.
Therefore, claims 2-6, and 8-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by the publication by Anthony Calabro (International Publication No.: WO 2024/145517 A1).
As to Claim 1, Calabro teaches a charge power-supply management system for managing charge of a power storage device mounted on a target mobile object and power supply from the power storage device (see Abstract), comprising:
a target information acquirer that acquires target information including information on a current location of the target mobile object and a state of the power storage device (see ¶[0078] – “Environmental factors include weather, air temperature, and air pressure. The air temperature not only affects the battery state of charge, but also the electrical load needed for interior climate control (heating and cooling) for passengers and/or cargo as well as the vehicle systems (e.g., cooling the battery pack). Day versus nighttime travel may also affect range. Weather conditions (e.g., rain, snow, winds) may also affect range versus SoC. Lighting, such as headlights, interior and exterior lighting place a variable load on the battery pack. In colder climes, especially when evening darkness requires additional safety lighting, the combined heating (for passengers and the battery pack) and lighting loads can require a substantial fraction of the battery capacity, necessitating additional power transfer (either longer charging times or charging at higher power). Battery SoC safety margins may also require recalibration to preserve battery lifespan.”);
a facility information acquirer that extracts, as a power supply requesting facility, a facility having requested the power supply from a plurality of facilities in a target area including the current location and acquires power supply requesting facility information on the power supply requesting facility (see ¶[0062] – “Systems and methods described herein further provide electricity arbitrage using at least one Electric Vehicle (EV) that follows a prescribed route having a plurality of bi-directional chargers including, for example, a wireless power transfer (WPT) charger. A charging as a service management system (CaaS) receives EV data and at least one charging schedule for the prescribed route and charger data for respective bi-directional chargers along the prescribed route, and when an EV requests a charge from a bi-directional charger of the plurality of chargers, the CaaS determines whether the EV has excess charge beyond that needed to complete the prescribed route. When the EV has excess charge beyond that needed to complete the prescribed route, the CaaS instructs the EV to discharge electricity into the bidirectional charger of the plurality of chargers. On the other hand, when the EV does not have excess charge beyond that needed to complete the prescribed route, the CaaS instructs the bi-directional charger to charge the EV according to a charging plan.”);
a margin determinator that determines a presence or absence of a power supply margin in the power storage device based on the target information (see ¶[0077] – “Battery pack characteristics include make, model, manufacturer, capacity, battery aging (both time-wise and accelerated aging due to battery cycling), past battery usage and past inter-journey battery storage SoC. Data from sensors for the monitoring of the temperature of individual battery cells and the voltage levels of individual battery cells are expected to be available near-continuously via the vehicle’s Battery Management System (BMS). The BMS is provides oversight and management of the EV’s battery pack. The battery pack nominally consists of an array of battery cells, configured and interconnected to deliver the need voltage and current needed. The BMS monitors the battery pack sensors (e.g., for current, voltage, temperature) and communicates with EV electrical subsystems and external chargers (such as a WPT charger). The BMS maintains the battery pack operational profile and protects against over-discharge, over-heating, and over-charging. The BMS may also optimize battery performance and lifespan by controlling the charging rate and SoC.”);
a movement cost calculator that calculates, as a mobile power-supply cost, a cost borne by a target user of the target mobile object for movement of the target mobile object between the current location and the power supply requesting facility (see ¶[0067]-¶[0068] – “In still other configurations, the at least one processor of the CaaS may further execute instructions to determine which charger of the at least one additional bi-directional charger along the prescribed route has a lower electricity cost at an anticipated time of charging, and to instruct the bidirectional charger having the lower electricity cost to charge the EV when the EV does not have excess charge beyond that needed to complete the prescribed route but has enough charge to reach at least one additional bi-directional charger along the prescribed route. [0068] The at least one processor of the CaaS also may execute instructions to calculate the charging plan based on based on a total cost per distance (TCD) of travel over each of a plurality of route segments between the plurality of bi-directional chargers along the prescribed route, telemetry data received from the EV, and the charger data.”);
a user benefit calculator that calculates, as a mobile power-supply benefit, a benefit that can be obtained by the target user in a case of the power supply from the power storage device to the power supply requesting facility (see ¶[0065] – “In other configurations, the at least one processor of the CaaS may execute instructions to receive electricity rate data for a bi-directional charger along the prescribed route, calculate electricity pricing at the bi-directional charger along the prescribed route for different times of day, and when the EV has excess charge beyond that needed to complete the prescribed route, instruct the EV to discharge electricity at the bi-directional charger when a cost of electricity at a time of charging is higher than a cost of electricity during a previous charging session. The at least one processor of the CaaS may further execute instructions to send a message to an electrical utility to coordinate supply of electrical power from the EV to a utility grid based on at least one of electrical demand, electrical ramp-up, or electricity price, and to coordinate storing of electrical power in the EV based on at least one of electrical power supply of the utility grid or price.”); and
a plan transmitter that transmits a mobile power-supply plan generated based on the target information and the power supply requesting facility information to a target terminal of the target user or the target mobile object in a case where it is determined that the power storage device has the power supply margin and the mobile power-supply benefit is greater than the mobile power-supply cost (see Abstract, and ¶[0066] – “In other configurations, the at least one processor of the CaaS may further execute instructions to establish a cost threshold for electricity. Then, when the EV requests a charge from the bidirectional charger of the plurality of chargers, the at least one processor of the CaaS may determine whether a cost for electricity at the bi-directional charger is below the cost threshold, and when the cost for electricity at the bi-directional charger is below the cost threshold, instruct the bi-directional charger to charge the EV. On the other hand, when the at least one processor of the CaaS executes instructions to determine that a cost for electricity at the bi-directional charger is above the cost threshold and to determine that the EV has excess charge beyond that needed to complete the prescribed route, the CaaS instructs the EV to discharge electricity into the bi-directional charger.”).
As to Claim 2, Calabro teaches the charge power-supply management system according to claim 1, wherein
in a case where the current location is identical to a location of a target station set for the target mobile object, the user benefit calculator calculates, as a station power supply benefit, a benefit that can be obtained by the target user in a case of the power supply from the power storage device to the target station (see ¶[0094]-¶[0096] – “As shown in FIG. 5, first and second utilities share the same geographical market with a deployed WPT system and offer different electric rates based on the hourly time-of-day and power generation capabilities and capacities. In FIG. 5, the X-axis 501 is the 24-hour day marked in 1 hour segments. The Y-axis 502 shows the price of power for each hour segment. In this illustrative example, in the first period 505 (midnight to 7am), the first utility market rates 503 are cheaper. During the second period 506 (7am-8am), the rates for both utilities 503 and 504 are roughly equal. The third period 507 (8am-2pm) has the first utility rate 503 cheaper. During the fourth period 508 (2pm- 11pm), the second utility rates 504 are advantageous. Finally, in a fifth period 509 (1 Ipm-midnight) the first utility offered rates 503 arc again preferred. [0095] By selecting service from the cheaper utility during the charging time, the cost of power for EV charging can be reduced. Managing the charging time, duration, and charge level can increase these savings by minimizing charging during the higher cost of power times of day. [0096] Since demand, availability, and cost of electric power may vary considerably on a day-to- day or even hour-to-hour, these all factor into the decision to charge. Information on electric rates can be obtained by from the terms of prior contracts with the local utility, from a data feed from the local the electricity exchange, or the public market spot price for electricity when multiple suppliers feed utility. Examples of electricity markets include the Day-Ahead Energy Market and the Real-Time Energy Market.”), and
in a case where a differential benefit obtained by subtracting the mobile power-supply cost from the mobile power-supply benefit is greater than the station power supply benefit, the plan transmitter transmits the mobile power- supply plan to the target terminal or the target mobile object (see ¶[0098]-¶[0099] – “Charger locations may place consecutive chargers on a particular route in different utility service areas where pricing information from multiple sources may need to be obtained and considered on the charging decision. In cases where the charger(s) are owned by a third party (one other than the utility and fleet operator), the price of electricity may need to be obtained from the third party for the estimated charging time. [0099] FIG. 6 depicts an example where two regions 601 and 602 are traversed by an EV route 605. In this example, each region 601 and 602 is served by a different utility, each with different pricing. The WPT opportunity chargers 603 and 604 thus can have a differing cost of power. Using differing charging duration and power levels at each WPT charger 603 and 604 at specific times of day, the total cost of charging for the route can be optimized.”).
As to Claim 3, Calabro teaches the charge power-supply management system according to claim 2, wherein in a case where the target mobile object is an electric vehicle traveling with power from the power storage device, the movement cost calculator calculates the mobile power-supply cost based on an electricity consumption of the target mobile object and an electricity unit price at the target station (see at least ¶[0067]-¶[0068]).
As to Claim 4, Calabro teaches the charge power-supply management system according to claim 2, further comprising:
a use schedule determinator that determines whether or not use of the target mobile object is scheduled up to a predetermined time ahead of a current point in time,
wherein in a case where it is determined that the power storage device has the power supply margin and there is no schedule of use of the target mobile object and the differential benefit is greater than the station power supply benefit, the plan transmitter transmits the mobile power- supply plan to the target terminal or the target mobile object (see at least ¶[0102] – “By obtaining the pricing at multiple chargers along the route at the multiple estimated times of arrival, a cost of travel profile for the route may be generated at the start of the day. Based on the upper and lower SoC battery thresholds, a cost optimization can be calculated and recalculated as needed if the original route is departed from or the model fails to predict accurate SoC values. Data used to populate the cost optimization model may include training data from the current route, the current fleet, or other fleets using the same or similar electric vehicles. In some cases, a substantial cost difference in charging either from one location to another, or from one time to another can engage a second set of battery SoC thresholds.”).
As to Claim 5, Calabro teaches the charge power-supply management system according to claim 2, wherein in a case where the target mobile object is an unmanned self-driving vehicle, the plan transmitter transmits, to the target mobile object, the mobile power- supply plan including information necessary for automatic movement of the target mobile object from the current location to the power supply requesting facility (see ¶[0067]).
As to Claim 6, Calabro teaches the charge power-supply management system according to claim 2, wherein
the user benefit calculator successively calculates the mobile power-supply benefit based on latest power supply requesting facility information, and
in a case where the differential benefit becomes less than the station power supply benefit while the target mobile object is moving toward the power supply requesting facility, the plan transmitter transmits a notification of cancelling the notified mobile power-supply plan. (see ¶[0161] – “In this example, the charging manager 1401 sends the GCA 1402 involved in the charging session 1406 a Rating command 1411. The Rating Command 1411 includes a current level that may be above or below the initial current level (the current level can be zero, pausing or ending the charging session 1406 prematurely). The updated current level is passed to the VRA 1403 at 1412 before the charging signal is changed. The VRA 1403 acknowledges the updated current level in its response 1409 which can request the new maximum allowed current level or any current level below the updated current level.”).
Claim 7 is rejected under the same reasoning as Claim 1.
Claim 8 is rejected under the same reasoning as Claim 2.
Claim 9 is rejected under the same reasoning as Claim 3.
Claim 10 is rejected under the same reasoning as Claim 4.
Claim 11 is rejected under the same reasoning as Claim 5.
Claim 12 is rejected under the same reasoning as Claim 6.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IRENE S KANG whose telephone number is (571)270-3611. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday between M-F 10am-2pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor Matt Gart may be reached at (571)-272-3955. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/IRENE KANG/
Examiner, Art Unit 3695
5/30/2026
/MATTHEW S GART/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3696
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