DETAILED ACTION
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 1-5 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.
In regards to claim 1, lines 15-16, the recitation “a main switch” lacks proper antecedent basis and it is not clear to the examiner whether “a main switch” refers to the main switch recited on line 3 or is a new main switch. Thus, the metes and bounds cannot be determined, which renders the claim indefinite.
Claims 2-5 are indefinite due to its dependency.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-5 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tabei et al. (US 2007/0210743 A1).
In regards to claim 1, Tabei discloses, in figure 1, a power supply system (1) of a vehicle (Par 0035; hybrid vehicle) on which an electrical component (ECUS 12, 14, 16) and an electric motor (22) are mounted (Par 0036), the power supply system (1) comprising: a main switch (5a, 5b); an electrical component battery (4) configured to supply electric power to the electrical component (Par 0038-0039); a drive battery (3) configured to supply electric power to the electric motor (22) (Par 0036); a converter (24) configured to step down the electric power of the drive battery (3) and output the stepped-down electric power to the electrical component battery (4) (Par 0061; “the DC/DC converter 24 decreases the DC voltage of the main battery 3, and the decreased voltage is then supplied to the auxiliary battery 4”); and a controller (10) configured to be driven by the electric power of the electrical component battery (4) and control the converter (24) (Par 0061; “when the judgment result indicates that the voltage of the main battery 3 is not less than the chargeable voltage, the operation flow goes to step S360. At step S360, the HVECU 10 outputs the instruction in order to drive the DC/DC converter 24”), wherein the controller (10) is configured to monitor a voltage of the electrical component battery (4) when the main switch (5a, 5b) is turned on or off (Par 0038-0040; The voltage sensor 7 detects a voltage (high voltage) of the positive terminal of the auxiliary battery 4, and the HVECU 10 receives detection signals and control signals transferred from the voltage sensors 6, 7 and the current sensor 8 when the main switch 5a, 5b is turned on or off), and the controller (10) controls the converter (24) to charge the electrical component battery (4) using the electric power of the drive battery (3) in a situation where the voltage of the electrical component battery (4) is less than a normal operation voltage of the controller when a main switch (5a, 5b) is turned on (Par 0058-0059; the main battery 3 a supplies the electric power in order to charge the auxiliary battery 4 with the electric power when the voltage level of the auxiliary battery 4 is lower than the executable voltage…after this, the relay 5a and the relay 5b are turned on in order to electrically connect the main battery 3 to the electric power lines 94a and 94b and to charge auxiliary battery 4); and the voltage of the electrical component battery (4) becomes equal to or more than the normal operation voltage of the controller when the main switch (5a, 5b) is turned off (Par 0061-0063; the HVECU 10 judges whether or not the voltage of the auxiliary battery 4 is not less than the executable voltage. When the judgment result indicates that the voltage of the auxiliary battery is not less than the executable voltage, the relay 5a and the relay 5b are turned off in order to disconnect the electric power lines 94a and 94b from the main battery 3).
In regards to claim 2, Tabei discloses, in figure 1, the power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the controller (10) controls the converter (24) to stop charging the electrical component battery (4) after a certain period of time elapses from start of the charging (Par 0062-0063; the HVECU 10 judges whether or not the voltage of the auxiliary battery 4 is not less than the executable voltage. When the judgment result indicates that the voltage of the auxiliary battery is not less than the executable voltage, the relay 5a and the relay 5b are turned off in order to disconnect the electric power lines 94a and 94b from the main battery 3, thus the controller 10 controls the converter 24 to stop charging the electrical component battery 4 after a certain period of time elapses from start of the charging).
In regards to claim 3, Tabei discloses, in figure 1, the power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component (ECUS 12, 14, 16) is turned on/off in conjunction with the main switch (5a, 5b) being turned on/off (Par 0038, 0062-0063; the HVECU 10 controls so that both the relays 5a and 5b enter ON, the electric power of the main battery 3 is supplied to the inverter 26 and the DC/DC converter 24 which charges the auxiliary battery 4 and supplies voltage to the electrical components 12, 14, 16, thus the electrical components 12, 14, 16, are turned on/off in conjunction with the main switch being turned on/off when being supplied by electric power).
In regards to claim 4, Tabei discloses, in figure 1, the power supply system according to claim 3, wherein the voltage of the electrical component battery (4) is less than the normal operation voltage of the controller due to current consumption of the electrical component (Par 0039; ECUS 12, 14, 16) and the controller (10) when the main switch (5a, 5b) is turned on (Par 0058-0059; the main battery 3 a supplies the electric power in order to charge the auxiliary battery 4 with the electric power when the voltage level of the auxiliary battery 4 is lower than the executable voltage due to current consumption of ECUS 12, 14, 16…after this, the relay 5a and the relay 5b are turned on in order to electrically connect the main battery 3 to the electric power lines 94a and 94b and to charge the auxiliary battery 4), and the voltage of the electrical component battery (4) is equal to or more than the normal operation voltage of the controller when the main switch (5a, 5b) is turned off since only the current consumption of the controller occurs (Par 0061-0063; the HVECU 10 judges whether or not the voltage of the auxiliary battery 4 is not less than the executable voltage. When the judgment result indicates that the voltage of the auxiliary battery is not less than the executable voltage, the relay 5a and the relay 5b are turned off in order to disconnect the electric power lines 94a and 94b from the main battery 3 during current consumption of the controller 10).
In regards to claim 5, Tabei discloses, in figure 1, the power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the controller (10) is configured to monitor the electrical component battery (4) only when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on or turned off (Par 0054-0056; “the ignition switch of the hybrid vehicle 1 is turned on and the HVECU 10 receives the reprogramming request…it is judged whether or not the voltage of the auxiliary battery 4 is not less than an executable voltage at which the HVECU 10 can execute the reprogramming process correctly based on the detection signal transferred from the voltage sensor 7” thus the controller 10 monitors the electrical component battery 4 only when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on or turned off).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Amano et al. (US 2001/0019224 A1); discloses a power controller for a vehicle can operate electrical load upon stopping of engine or turning OFF of a key switch, and lowering of remaining capacity of a main battery can be prevented. The control system has a control portion controlling operation of a power generator and an electrical load mounted on an automotive vehicle. The control system also includes remaining capacity measuring means for measuring a remaining capacity of a battery. The control portion drives a predetermined power load when an engine is stopped or a key switch is held OFF, and operation of the power load is stopped when a remaining capacity of the battery measured by the remaining capacity measuring means becomes smaller than a predetermined value.
Shimane et al. (US 2003/0029654 A1); discloses a power supply apparatus for a vehicle, an inverter circuit inputs a voltage from a first battery unit through switches. A smoothing condenser is provided between the first battery unit and the inverter circuit in parallel. A DC-DC converter is provided between the smoothing condenser and a second battery unit to voltage-convert electric energy stored in the first battery unit or the smoothing condenser to supply to the second battery unit, and to voltage-convert electric energy stored in the second battery unit to supply to the smoothing condenser. An electronic control unit controls the DC-DC converter before starting power supply to the inverter circuit, such that the switches are closed after the smoothing condenser is charged to a voltage within a predetermined permission voltage range from the voltage of the first battery unit.
Sato et al. (US 2010/0001523 A1); discloses a power supply control apparatus and a power supply control method for a hybrid vehicle. Particularly, the present invention relates to a power supply control apparatus and a power supply control method for a hybrid vehicle including a motor that receives power supply to start an internal combustion engine.
Suzuki et al. (US 2020/0136406 A1); discloses a vehicle comprises a first power storage device; a second power storage device configured to have a lower rated voltage than a rated voltage of the first power storage device; a DC-DC converter configured to step down a voltage of electric power of a high voltage-side power line which the first power storage device is connected with and to supply the electric power of the stepped-down voltage to a low voltage-side power line which the second power storage device is connected with; a first auxiliary machine connected with the low voltage-side power line and configured such as to be required to operate in a system off-state; a second auxiliary machine connected with the low voltage-side power line and configured such as not to be required to operate in the system off-state; and a switch configured to disconnect the second auxiliary machine from the low voltage-side power line.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX WONG LAM whose telephone number is (571)272-3409. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Regis Betsch can be reached at (571)-270-7101. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALEX W LAM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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