Prior art

The provided patent text for US11967857 does not include a "References Cited" section with a comprehensive list of prior art patents. I am also unable to directly interact with the USPTO database's Patent Public Search tool to extract this information, nor did direct Google searches for "US11967857 references cited" yield a parseable list. Therefore, I can only analyze the specific prior art reference explicitly mentioned and described within the provided patent text.

The patent text for US11967857 explicitly mentions one prior art reference:

• U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0134073

Here's the analysis of this reference:

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0134073 to Tesla Motors, Inc.

• Publication/Filing Date: The publication date is 2010/0134073. The filing date is not explicitly stated in the provided text but can be inferred to be prior to the publication date.

• Brief Description: This publication "describes an elaborate manner in which battery charging current, temperature and various other factors are controlled". It also notes that "by controlling charging current, the maximum load drawn from the power grid or generator can be controlled". The publication further details the "Tesla Motors High Power Connector, or HPC," which includes a manually settable maximum current selector switch to limit the current drawn from a 240-volt circuit, for example, limiting a 40 amp circuit to 32 amps.

• Potential Anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102:
  U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0134073 potentially anticipates aspects of US11967857 related to controlling the load presented by a battery charger, particularly for electric or hybrid vehicles, to prevent overloading a power source.

  • Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a method of controlling a load on a power source by knowing power source parameters, sensing output power, calculating available power, knowing load parameters (including priority), determining if the load can be supported, and connecting it if sufficient power exists. The Tesla publication anticipates the concept of controlling a load (battery charging current) based on various factors (temperature, charge) to manage the maximum load drawn from a power source (grid or generator), which aligns with the broad concept of preventing overload and managing available power. Specifically, the manual current selector on the HPC directly implements a form of "knowing load parameters" (the maximum current draw allowed) and controlling the "amount of power supplied" to the load (the battery charger) to prevent exceeding a "maximum output capability" of the circuit connection, which serves as a "power source" in that context.
  • Independent Claim 11: This claim describes a power management system including a power source, multiple loads, a transfer switch, and a control unit that monitors power, stores parameters, and controls load connection/disconnection to prevent overload and optimize efficiency. The Tesla publication describes a system where battery charging current is controlled based on factors like battery temperature and charge level, implying a monitoring and control system to manage the load on the power source. While it doesn't describe a full "transfer switch" system for multiple diverse loads, it clearly details a control unit managing a specific load (battery charger) in response to sensed conditions to prevent overload, which is a core aspect of Claim 11.
  • Independent Claim 17: This claim describes a load control system for a load connected to a power source, featuring a control unit that knows power source capabilities, load requirements/priority, and a load switch/limit device. The control unit uses real-time information to prevent overload. The Tesla publication directly addresses "control of battery charging current" and the use of a "maximum current selector switch" on the HPC. This switch acts as a load limit device, and the implicit control system (managing charging current based on battery conditions) functions as a control unit aware of both the "power source's capabilities" (circuit capacity) and the "load's power requirements" (battery charging needs), thereby controlling the load to prevent an overload.

  Therefore, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0134073 is highly relevant prior art, particularly regarding the dynamic control and limiting of power drawn by battery charging loads in response to system conditions to prevent overloading.