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`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/598,678
`
`10/10/2019
`
`Tomohiro TAKAHASHI
`
`733756.405
`
`5279
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic
`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`WILLIAMS, ARUN C
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2859
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`04/29/2021
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`USPTOeAction @ SeedIP.com
`
`pairlinkdktg @seedip.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-16 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`(J Claim(s)__ is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-3,6-9 and 15-16 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s) 4-5 and 10-14 is/are objected to.
`1) Claim(s
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)2) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)M The drawing(s) filed on 10/10/2019 is/are:
`a)@) accepted or b)() objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)[¥] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)() None ofthe:
`b)( Some**
`a) All
`1.4) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have beenreceived in Application No.
`3.1.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 10/10/2019.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20210424
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/598,678
`TAKAHASHI, Tomohiro
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`ARUN C WILLIAMS
`2859
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 10/10/2019.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/598,678
`Art Unit: 2859
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1.
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`This is a first action on the merits, in response to the claims received 10/10/2019.
`
`Claims 1-16 are pending for prosecution below.
`
`Priority
`
`2.
`
`Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
`
`3.
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`The information disclosure statement (IDS) file on 10/10/2019 has been considered by
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`the examiner. An initialed copy is attached herewith.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`4.
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`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 —
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`(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, orin public use,
`on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed
`invention.
`
`5.
`
`Claim(s) 1-3,6-9,15, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
`
`anticipated by EP2667481A1, (EP2667).
`
`As for claim 1, EPP2667 discloses and showsin Fig. 13 a power conversion
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`apparatus, comprising: a charger including a primary-side circuit (via 85) supplied with
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`power ofa first voltage and a secondary-side circuit (within 100) supplied with power of
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`a second voltage lower than the first voltage (via step-down chopper); and a capacitor
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`(combination of C11&C12) disposed onafirst powerline electrically connecting the
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`secondary-side circuit with an inverter (18) and a battery (40), wherein power from the
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`secondary-side circuit is smoothened by the capacitor to be supplied to the battery, and
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/598,678
`Art Unit: 2859
`
`Page 3
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`power from the battery is smoothened by the capacitor to be supplied to the inverter
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`(par.[0050-0056)).
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`As for claim 2, EPP2667 discloses and showsin Fig. 13 capacitor is disposed
`
`on the inverter side on the first power line relative to a branching point branched from a
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`power line connecting the secondary-side circuit with the battery to the inverter
`
`As for claim 3, EPP2667 discloses and showsin Fig. 13 power conversion
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`apparatus is installed on a vehicle, and wherein an operation of the charger for charging
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`power from a power supply outside the vehicle to the battery installed on the
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`vehicle and an operation of the inverter for driving a motor (MG1) for driving the vehicle
`
`to run by using power from the battery are mutually exclusive
`
`As for claims 6,15, and 16, EPP2667 discloses and showsin Fig. 13 an
`
`insulation class (via air gap) of the primary-side circuit and an insulation class (exterior
`
`of 100) of the secondary-side circuit are different from each other
`
`As for claim 7, EPP2667 discloses and showsin Fig. 13 a housing sectioned by
`
`a partition memberinto a first space and a second space, wherein: the primary-side
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`circuit is stored within the first space; and the secondary-side circuit, the capacitor, and
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`the inverter are stored within the second space
`
`As for claim 8, EPP2667 discloses and showsin Fig. 13 the secondary-side
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`circuit, the capacitor, and the inverter are mounted on a single board
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`As for claim 9, EPP2667 discloses and showsin Fig. 13 the power conversion
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`apparatus is installed on a vehicle, and wherein an operation of the charger for charging
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`power from a power supply outside the vehicle to the battery installed on the
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/598,678
`Art Unit: 2859
`
`Page 4
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`vehicle and an operation of the inverter for driving a motorfor driving the vehicle to run
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`by using powerfrom the battery are mutually exclusive.
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`1.
`
`Claims 4,5,10-14 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 anyintervening claims.
`
`2.
`
`The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable
`
`subject matter:
`
`Claim 4: capacitance of the capacitor is smaller than a total of capacitance required for
`
`smoothening power from the secondary-side circuit and capacitance required for
`
`smoothening power for the inverter,
`
`in combination with the remaining limitations of
`
`independent claims
`
`Claim 5: capacitance of the capacitor is equal to capacitance required for smoothening
`
`power from the secondary-side circuit or capacitance required for smoothening power
`
`for the inverter, whichever larger, in combination with the remaining limitations of
`
`independent claims
`
`Claim 10: capacitance of the capacitor is smaller than a total of capacitance required for
`
`smoothening power from the secondary-side circuit and capacitance required for
`
`smoothening power for the inverter,
`
`in combination with the remaining limitations of
`
`independent claims
`
`Claim 11: capacitance of the capacitor is smaller than a total of capacitance required for
`
`smoothening power from the secondary-side circuit and capacitance required for
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/598,678
`Art Unit: 2859
`
`Page 5
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`smoothening power for the inverter,
`
`in combination with the remaining limitations of
`
`independent claims
`
`Claim 12: capacitance of the capacitor is equal to capacitance required for smoothening
`
`power from the secondary-side circuit or capacitance required for smoothening power
`
`for the inverter, whichever larger, in combination with the remaining limitations of
`
`independent claims
`
`Claim 13: capacitance of the capacitor is equal to capacitance required for smoothening
`
`power from the secondary-side circuit or capacitance required for smoothening power
`
`for the inverter, whichever larger, in combination with the remaining limitations of
`
`independent claims
`
`Claim 14: capacitance of the capacitor is equal to capacitance required for smoothening
`
`power from the secondary-side circuit or capacitance required for smoothening power
`
`for the inverter, whichever larger, in combination with the remaining limitations of
`
`independent claims
`
`Contact Information
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to ARUN C WILLIAMS whose telephone numberis
`
`(571)272-9765. The examiner can normally be reached on MF 9 a.m. - 6p.m..
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`
`supervisor, Richard Isla can be reached on 571-272-5056. The fax phone number for
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`the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/598,678
`Art Unit: 2859
`
`Page 6
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`
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`
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`
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`
`/ARUN C WILLIAMS/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
`
`