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 § 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) 1-3 and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yoshizawa et al (Pub 2023/0151787, further referred to as Yoshizawa).
As to claim 1, Yoshizawa teaches an electronic module (1), comprising:
an electronically controlled switch (27) configured to couple and decouple a first voltage bus (21) and a second voltage bus (23) distinct from the first voltage bus (paragraphs 11 and 32) ;
a sensor configured to detect a first voltage of the first voltage bus and a second voltage of the second voltage bus (paragraph 38, in (29) the first and second voltages are “sensed” as they are compared to a threshold); and
an electronic controller (25 and 29) in communication with the electronically controlled
switch and the sensor, the electronic controller configured to command the
electronically controlled switch to couple or decouple the first voltage bus and the
second voltage bus based on a voltage difference between the first voltage and the
second voltage detected by the sensor (paragraphs 38, 41, and 42).
As to claim 2 Yoshizawa teaches wherein the electronic controller is configured to command the electronically controlled switch to couple the first voltage bus and the second voltage bus when the first voltage is greater than or equal to the second voltage and to decouple the first voltage bus from the second voltage bus via the electronically controlled switch when the first voltage is less
than the second voltage (paragraphs 40-42 and 48-50).
As to claim 3, Yoshizawa teaches wherein the electronic controller, in cooperation with the sensor, causes the electronically controlled switch to prevent current from flowing from the second voltage bus to the first voltage bus (paragraph 46).
As to claim 14, Yoshizawa wherein the electronic module comprises a battery isolation module (27 isolates the two lines) and wherein the first voltage bus is supplied
by a first battery (17) having the first voltage and the second voltage bus is supplied by
a second battery (13) having the second voltage.
As to claim 15, Yoshizawa teaches wherein the first voltage bus is
supplied by a first battery (17) having the first voltage and the second voltage bus is
supplied by a DC/DC convertor (19) having the second voltage.
As to claim 16, Yoshizawa teaches wherein the first voltage bus is
electrically coupled with a starter motor (7) of an internal combustion engine (3) and the
first battery is configured to supply electrical power to the starter motor (paragraph 15).
As to claim 17, Yoshizawa wherein the electronic module
is configured to be incorporated within an electrical power distribution center which
further comprises: electrical fuses electrically coupled with the first voltage bus or the second
voltage bus; and electrical relays electrically coupled with the electrical fuses and further
electrically coupled with electrical loads, wherein the electronic controller is in
communication with the electrical relays and is configured to enable or disable the
electrical relays (paragraphs 21 and 29-34, can control inverters, batteries, and DC/DC converter which have electrical fuses and relays).
As to claim 18, Yoshizawa teaches a hybrid vehicle (paragraph 8) power train (fig 1) comprising: an electronic module (1), comprising:
a first voltage bus (21) comprising a first electrical power supply (17) and a starter
motor (7);
a second voltage bus (23) distinct from the first voltage bus comprising a second
electrical power supply (15) and a plurality of electrical loads (11); and
a battery isolation module (27) configured to configured to couple and decouple
the first voltage bus and the second voltage bus based on a voltage difference
between the first voltage bus and the second voltage bus (paragraphs 38, 41, and 42).
As to claim 19, Yoshizawa teaches wherein the second voltage bus comprises a third electrical power supply including a DC/DC (19) convertor electrically coupled to a fourth electrical power supply (13).
As to claim 20, Yoshizawa teaches first electrical power supply comprises a first battery having a first nominal voltage, the second electrical power supply comprises a second battery having the first
nominal voltage, and the fourth electrical power supply comprises a third battery having a second nominal voltage that is greater than the first nominal voltage (paragraph 21).
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) 4-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshizawa in view of Hendrickson et al (Pub 2024/0149717, further referred to as Hendrickson).
As to claim 4, Yoshizawa teaches an electronic module (1), comprising:
an electronically controlled switch (27) configured to couple and decouple a first voltage bus (21) and a second voltage bus (23) distinct from the first voltage bus (paragraphs 11 and 32) ;
a sensor configured to detect a first voltage of the first voltage bus and a second voltage of the second voltage bus (paragraph 38, in (29) the first and second voltages are “sensed” as they are compared to a threshold); and
an electronic controller (29) in communication with the electronically controlled
switch and the sensor, the electronic controller configured to command the
electronically controlled switch to couple or decouple the first voltage bus and the
second voltage bus based on a voltage difference between the first voltage and the
second voltage detected by the sensor (paragraphs 38, 41, and 42)
Yoshizawa does not explicitly teach an external controller.
Hendrickson teaches a vehicle (fig 1) where a vehicle controller (122) controls power control of the vehicle based on which can be controlled by an external controller (paragraph 22). As such it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to combine the switching circuit taught in Yoshizawa with the external control taught in Hendrickson in order to improve user accessibility and control in vehicle systems.
As to claim 5, Hendrickson teaches wherein the external electronic controller is a component of a powertrain control module (PCM)(paragraph 22, external control can control the motor, interfaces, and actuators of the machine).
As to claim 6, Hendrickson receiving external signals are receiving from an antenna (124, paragraph 22). It would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use PWM for the signaling as it would be a mere matter of design choice to using a notoriously well known in the art wireless signal transmission method.
As to claim 7, Hendrickson teaches using a transceiver (124) and to receive communications to the controller circuit (122)(paragraph 22). It would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have communications bus as it would be a mere matter of design choice to user desired method of connecting the transceiver to the control circuit.
As to claim 8, Hendrickson teaches receiving the signals via the transceiver (paragraph 22).
As to claim 9 and 10, As would have been recognized by a person of ordinary skill in the art choosing the method of how to send data of the communication bus with a LIN or CAN protocol is done merely a design choice to using notoriously well known in the art communication protocols for a user desired method of communication.
As to claim 11, Hendrickson teaches wherein powertrain control module (PCM) comprises the external electronic controller (paragraph 22, external control can control the motor, interfaces, and actuators of the machine).
Claim(s) 12 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshizawa.
As to claim 12, Yoshizawa teaches an electronic module (1), comprising:
an electronically controlled switch (27) configured to couple and decouple a first voltage bus (21) and a second voltage bus (23) distinct from the first voltage bus (paragraphs 11 and 32) ;
a sensor configured to detect a first voltage of the first voltage bus and a second voltage of the second voltage bus (paragraph 38, in (29) the first and second voltages are “sensed” as they are compared to a threshold); and
an electronic controller (25 and 29) in communication with the electronically controlled
switch and the sensor, the electronic controller configured to command the
electronically controlled switch to couple or decouple the first voltage bus and the
second voltage bus based on a voltage difference between the first voltage and the
second voltage detected by the sensor (paragraphs 38, 41, and 42).
Yoshizawa does not explicitly teach the switch is a MOSFET
As would have been recognized by a person of ordinary skill in the art using a transistor such as a MOSFET, BJT, or IGBT, as a controllable switch is notoriously well-known art as transistor are notoriously well known in the art as controllable switches. As such it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to use a MOSFET for the switch taught in Yoshizawa as doing so would be a mere matter of design choice to choosing a notoriously well known in the art switching circuit.
As to claim 13, Yoshizawa teaches a switch (27). As would have been recognized by a person of ordinary skill in the art using a transistor such as a MOSFET, BJT, or IGBT, as a controllable switch is notoriously well-known art as transistor are notoriously well known in the art as controllable switches.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY M SHIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7356. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm PST.
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/JEFFREY M SHIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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