DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
2. Claims 2-6 and 15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 2, the claim limitation “…a first power path side to a second power path side…” should be “…the first power path side to the second power path side…” according to antecedent basis requirement.
Dependent claims 3-6 and 15 are also objected to at least the same reason as objected claim 2 as stated above because the dependent claims 3-6 and 15 depend on the objected claim 2.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
4. Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawakami et al. (WO2021/059523) (hereinafter “Kawakami”).
Regarding claim 1, Kawakami discloses an in-vehicle control device (20) for use in an in-vehicle system (Fig.1 and 4-7, please refer to the whole reference for detailed) provided with: a power source unit (90 in Fig.1; ¶ 38) for supplying power; a power storage unit (50) that is not the power source unit (90); a first power path (70A) to which a voltage based on the power source unit (90) is applied; a second power path (second power path between node P3 and 14) serving as a path for supplying power supplied from the first power path to a load (12 and 14); a third power path (61A) that is not the first power path (70A) and the second power path (second power path between node P3 and 14); and a fourth power path (62A) to which a voltage based on the power storage unit (50) is applied, the in-vehicle control device (20; please refer to at least ¶ 46 and 47) being configured to control power supply from the power storage unit (50) and comprising: a voltage conversion unit (31) configured to perform a first conversion operation of converting a voltage applied to the third power path (61A) and applying an output voltage to the fourth power path (62A), and a second conversion operation of converting a voltage applied to the fourth power path (62A) and applying an output voltage to the third power path (61A; please refer to at least ¶ 32); a control unit (control unit of 31) configured to control the voltage conversion unit (31); a first element part (42 in Fig.5) capable of allowing a current to flow from a voltage conversion unit side (side of 31) to a second power path side (side of second power path between node P3 and 14) and interrupting a current flow from the second power path side to the voltage conversion unit side (according to Fig.5, the switch 42 is switched to provide current flow only in one direction which is to the second power path side, not vice versa); a second element part (22A in Fig.7) capable of allowing a current to flow from a first power path side (70A) to a voltage conversion unit side (side of 31) and interrupting a current flow from the voltage conversion unit side to the first power path side (according to Fig.7, the switch 22A is switched to provide current flow only in one direction which is to the voltage conversion unit side, not vice versa); and a third element part (41 in Fig.4) capable of allowing a current to flow from a power storage unit side (side of 50) to a second power path side (side of second power path between node P3 and 14) and interrupting a current flow from the second power path side to the power storage unit side (according to Fig.4, the switch 41 is switched to provide current flow only in one direction which is to the second power path side, not vice versa).
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 7-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
6. Claims 2-6 and 15 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the objection set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD TAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7455. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:30am-5:00pm.
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/Richard Tan/Primary Examiner 2836
