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
This office action is a response to an application filed on 06/26/2026 in which claims 1-6 are pending and ready for examination.
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 1 and 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
As to claim 1, the phrase “that is connected” is unclear since this positive recitation implies that something continuously connected to elements outside of the vehicle. Suggesting language of “configured to connect” may be better.
As to claim 4, the phrase “wherein the DC input terminal is a terminal that directly inputs the second DC power to the first battery” is contradict with claim 1 where it says input is made to voltage converter and not directly to battery.
As to claim 5, the phrase “DC input terminal inputs and outputs the second DC power” is unclear because the use of “the second DC power” is ambiguous because in claim 1 second dc power is input from “the DC power supply”. Therefore, the use of the term “outputs” is conflicting with claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP2020120509 A (hereinafter JP509).
As to claim 1, JP509 discloses a vehicle charge device (see Fig 1) that charges a first battery (Fig 1, 200) mounted on a first vehicle, the vehicle charge device comprising:
a power converter (Fig 1, 20) that is connected to an AC power supply (Fig 1, S1) outside the first vehicle and converts AC power input from the AC power supply into first DC power;
a voltage converter (Fig 1, 40) that transforms an input DC voltage into a charging voltage of the first battery;
a voltage conversion control unit (Fig 1, 50) that controls the voltage converter; and
a DC input terminal (Fig 1, C2) connected to a DC power supply (Fig 1, S2) outside the first vehicle, wherein the DC input terminal (Fig 1, C2) inputs a DC voltage of second DC power input from the DC power supply to the voltage converter (Fig 1, 40), and wherein the voltage converter transforms the DC voltage of at least one of the first DC power or the second DC power into the charging voltage of the first battery according to an instruction from the voltage conversion control unit (see parags [0038-0039]).
As to claim 2, JP509 discloses the vehicle charge device according to the vehicle charge device according to further comprising a voltage detection device that detects the DC voltage of at least one of the first DC power or the second DC power input to the voltage converter, wherein the voltage conversion control unit controls, on a basis of the DC voltage detected by the voltage detection device and the charging voltage of the first battery, at least one of a frequency or a phase of an AC voltage converted in a process of transforming the DC voltage into the charging voltage of the first battery in the voltage converter (see parag [0038], “the control circuit 49 controls ON/OFF of the high-side switch 41 and the low-side switch 42 so that the voltage level of the electric power input to the DC/DC converter 40 becomes a desired voltage, therefore JP509 discloses a voltage detection device for detecting the DC voltage of DC power input to the voltage converter”).
As to claim 6, JP509 discloses a vehicle charge system (see Fig 1) comprising: the vehicle charge device (see claim 1) according to claim 1; and the first battery (Fig 1, 200).
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) 3 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP2020120509 A (hereinafter JP509) in view of JP2012085406 A (hereinafter JP406).
As to claim 3, JP509 discloses the vehicle charge device according to claim 1, wherein the first vehicle includes a communication device (Fig 1, 52) that transmits and receives information on the first battery between the first vehicle.
JP509 does not disclose a second vehicle on which a second battery is mounted and which is different from the first vehicle, and wherein the vehicle charge device transmits and receives, to and from the second vehicle via the communication device, information on the charging voltage of the first battery and information on the DC voltage that can be transformed by the voltage converter into the charging voltage of the first battery.
However, JP406 discloses a second vehicle (Fig 4, 2) on which a second battery (Fig 4, 11) is mounted and which is different from the first vehicle, and wherein the vehicle charge device transmits and receives, to and from the second vehicle via the communication device (Fig 4, communication line 42), information on the charging voltage of the first battery and information on the DC voltage that can be transformed by the voltage converter into the charging voltage of the first battery (Fig 4, parags [0058-0063]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the vehicle of JP509 to include the teachings as taught by JP406 in order to transfer power between multiple vehicles.
As to claim 5, the combination of JP509 and JP406 discloses the vehicle charge device according to claim 1, wherein the DC input terminal (JP509, Fig 1, C2) is connected to each of a plurality of second vehicles (JP406, Fig 4, 2a-2c) on which a second battery (JP406, Fig 4, 11) is mounted and which is different from the first vehicle, and wherein the DC input terminal inputs and outputs the second DC power between the first vehicle and the plurality of second vehicles (see parags [0058-0063]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2022/0407320 A1; US 2015/0130414 A1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUC M PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-5026. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
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/DUC M PHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2836 May 28, 2026
/TAELOR KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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