DETAILED ACTION
Notice of P re-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 .
Status of Claims
Applicant amended claims 1,17,20 and 28 which changes the scope of the claims and as such a new grounds of rejection is issued. Claims 21, 30-31 were previously cancelled.
Claims 1-20 and 22-29 and 32 are presently pending and are presented for examination.
Examiner note on Double Patenting rejections
The following DP rejections are stated below. Item to-item matching is abbreviated to identify the claims in the pending application that are analogous to the conflicting application. The Examiner has underlined the claim limitation that is not explicitly taught in the conflicting application.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
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Claim 1-20 and 22-29 and 32 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, and 10-12 of U.S. Patent 12431728. Although the claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
App# 17/232975 US Patent # 12431728
1. (Currently Amended) A method for charging an electrochemical device comprising: based on a relationship between a frequency and an impedance of an electrochemical device and at a filter circuit comprising an inductor coupled with a switch, the inductor operably coupled with an electrode of the electrochemical device, controlling an energy flux at the electrode of the electrochemical device by controlling, via a pulse width modulated (PWM) control signal, the switch to source current to the inductor, the energy flux including repeating pulses, with each pulse including a shaped leading edge portion defining an increasing current controllably shaped from the inductor by the controlled switch to correspond to a shape of a sinusoid of the frequency by controlling a duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to the inductor, the shaped leading edge portion followed by controlling the switch to provide a constant duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to provide a steady current from the inductor.
2. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency is associated with a minimum real impedance value of the electrochemical device.
3. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency is associated with a minimum imaginary impedance value of the electrochemical device.
4. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency is associated with a combination of a real impedance value and an imaginary impedance value of the electrochemical device.
5. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 4, wherein the frequency is associated with a modulus combination of the real impedance value and the imaginary impedance value of the electrochemical device.
6. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 4, wherein the frequency is associated with a combination of the real impedance value adjusted by a first weighted value and the imaginary impedance value adjusted by a second weighted value.
7. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency is associated with a minimum impedance value of the electrochemical device and further comprising: obtaining a change in the minimum impedance value; and controlling the energy flux at the electrode of the electrochemical device at a new frequency associated with the change in the minimum impedance value.
8. (Previously Presented) The method of claim
9. (Original) The method of claim 1 wherein the electrochemical device comprises one of a half cell battery, a cell battery, a plurality of batteries connected in parallel, or a plurality of batteries connected in series.
10. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1 wherein the energy flux comprises one of a charge current or a discharge current.
11. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1, further comprising: controlling a portion of the energy flux at a frequency associated with a conductance value of admittance or a susceptance value of admittance of the electrochemical device.
12. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 2 wherein the frequency associated with the minimum real impedance value comprises an upper frequency of a range of harmonics associated with the minimum real impedance value.
13. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1 wherein the leading edge portion is shaped according to the frequency corresponding to the minimum impedance value of the electrochemical device.
14. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 13 wherein the steady current comprises a controlled magnitude charge current value following the shaped leading edge portion.
15. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 14 wherein the energy flux further comprises a trailing edge portion following the steady current, the trailing edge portion comprising a voltage value below a transition voltage corresponding to a zero current flow at the electrochemical device.
16. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1, further comprising: measuring a real impedance value and imaginary impedance value of the electrochemical device during an application of the energy flux at the electrode of the electrochemical device.
17. (Currently Amended) A method for charging an electrochemical device comprising: accessing a harmonic profile that describes a relationship between a frequency and an energy transfer of an electrochemical device; and at a filter circuit comprising an inductor coupled with a switch, the inductor operably coupled with an electrode of the electrochemical device, controlling, via a pulse width modulated (PWM) control signal to the switch, an energy flux at an electrode of the electrochemical device, the energy flux including repeating pulses, with each pulse including a leading edge controllably shaped from the inductor by the controlled switch to correspond to a sinusoid at the frequency by controlling a duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to the inductor, the frequency associated with an optimal transfer of energy based on a real value and an imaginary value of the energy transfer at the electrode, the shaped leading edge portion followed by controlling the switch to provide a constant duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to provide a steady current from the inductor.
18. (Original) The method for charging the electrochemical device of claim 17 wherein the real value of the energy transfer is a real impedance and the imaginary value of the energy transfer is an imaginary impedance.
19. (Original) The method for charging the electrochemical device of claim 17 wherein the real value of the energy transfer is a conductance value and the imaginary value of the energy transfer is a susceptance value.
20. (Currently Amended) A charging system comprising: a charge signal shaping circuit comprising a first shaping inductor operably coupled with a first switching device, the first inductor operably coupled with an electrode of an electrochemical device; and a controller, using a relationship between frequency components of a charge signal and impedance, controlling, via a pulse width modulated (PWM) control signal to the first switch, the charge signal shaping circuit to generate a charge pulse from the inductor by the controlled switch, the charge pulse with a leading edge shaped by controlling a duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to the inductor and according to a sinusoid based on the relationship between frequency components of charge signal and impedance, the pulse further including a body portion following the shaped leading edge by controlling the switch to provide a constant duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to provide a steady current to define a width of the pulse.
22. (Original) The battery charging system of claim 20 further comprising: a power source providing a power signal and wherein controlling the charge signal shaping circuit comprises siphoning energy from the power signal to provide the charge signal.
23. (Previously Presented) The battery charging system of claim 20 wherein the charge signal shaping circuit further comprises: the inductor in electrical communication to a power rail; and the first switching device in electrical communication between the first shaping inductor and the electrode of the electrochemical device.
24. (Previously Presented) The battery charging system of claim 23 wherein the charge signal shaping circuit comprises: one or more second shaping inductors in electrical communication with the electrode of the electrochemical device; and a second switching device in electrical communication between the one or more second shaping inductors and the power rail.
25. (Previously Presented) The battery charging system of claim 23 wherein the controller transmits a first control signal to the first switching device and a second control signal to the first switching device to generate the charge pulse with the leading edge shaped based on a frequency associated with a minimum impedance value of the electrochemical device.
26. (Original) The battery charging system of claim 23, further comprising: a power source in electrical communication with the power rail, wherein the power source is one of a voltage-controlled power source or a current-controlled power source.
27. (Original) The battery charging system of claim 20, further comprising: an impedance measurement circuit in communication with the controller, the controller transmitting an impedance control signal to obtain an impedance measurement of the electrochemical device.
28. (Currently Amended) A battery cell charging system comprising: a charge signal shaping circuit comprising a first inductor and a first switching device, the charge signal shaping circuit in electrical communication with a power rail; and a controller providing a pulse width module control signal to the first switching device to control current to the first inductor by controlling a duty cycle of a sequence of pulses to the inductor to controllably shape a leading edge of a charge signal pulse produced from the first inductor, the shape of the leading edge corresponding to a sinusoid at a frequency associated with a minimum impedance of the electrochemical device, the shaped leading edge followed by controlling the switch to provide a constant duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to provide a steady current from the inductor.
29. (Previously Presented) The battery cell charging system of claim 28 further comprising: a second switching device in electrical communication with a node that receives the charge signal pulse, the controller providing a pulse-width modified signal to activate the second switching device to further shape the leading edge of the charge signal pulse.
32. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1 wherein the frequency is associated with a minimum impedance value of the electrochemical device.
1. A charging system comprising: a charge signal shaping circuit comprising a first switch configured to receive a pulse width modulated (PWM) control signal and operably coupled with an inductor to provide a sequence of pulses to the inductor, the sequence of pulses responsive to the PWM signal; a controller in operable communication with the charge signal shaping circuit to control the PWM control signal, the controller configured to generate a charge current waveform with a shaped leading edge defining an increasing charge current followed by a constant current body portion by controlling a duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to the inductor, the controlled sequence of pulses producing the shaped leading edge of the charge current waveform from the inductor, and then providing a constant duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to provide the constant current body portion of the charge current waveform from the inductor.
10. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the shaped leading edge defining an increasing charge current is of the shape of a sinusoid corresponding to a frequency associated with a value representative of a flow of electrical current to an electrochemical device.
11. The charging system of claim 10 wherein the PWM control signal has a controlled varying duty cycle or controlled varying period to produce the series of pulses to the inductor, wherein the increasing charge current produced from the inductor receiving the series of pulses generates the shape of the leading edge as the increasing charge current of the shape of the sinusoid corresponding to the frequency.
12. The charging system of claim 10 wherein the value is at least one of impedance, admittance and power.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 and 22-29 and 32 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the double patenting rejection above.
The following is a statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding independent claim(s) 1, although the prior art discloses a method for charging an electrochemical device, the prior art of record does not disclose or teach the combination of:
“based on a relationship between a frequency and an impedance of an electrochemical device and at a filter circuit comprising an inductor coupled with a switch, the inductor operably coupled with an electrode of the electrochemical device, controlling an energy flux at the electrode of the electrochemical device by controlling, via a pulse width modulated (PWM) control signal, the switch to source current to the inductor, the energy flux including repeating pulses, with each pulse including a shaped leading edge portion defining an increasing current controllably shaped from the inductor by the controlled switch to correspond to a shape of a sinusoid of the frequency by controlling a duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to the inductor, the shaped leading edge portion followed by controlling the switch to provide a constant duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to provide a steady current from the inductor.”
Regarding independent claim(s) 17, although the prior art discloses a method for charging an electrochemical device, the prior art of record does not disclose or teach the combination of:
“accessing a harmonic profile that describes a relationship between a frequency and an energy transfer of an electrochemical device; and at a filter circuit comprising an inductor coupled with a switch, the inductor operably coupled with an electrode of the electrochemical device, controlling, via a pulse width modulated (PWM) control signal to the switch, an energy flux at an electrode of the electrochemical device, the energy flux including repeating pulses, with each pulse including a leading edge controllably shaped from the inductor by the controlled switch to correspond to a sinusoid at the frequency by controlling a duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to the inductor, the frequency associated with an optimal transfer of energy based on a real value and an imaginary value of the energy transfer at the electrode, the shaped leading edge portion followed by controlling the switch to provide a constant duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to provide a steady current from the inductor.”
Regarding independent claim(s) 20, although the prior art discloses a charging system, the prior art of record does not disclose or teach the combination of:
“A charging system comprising: a charge signal shaping circuit comprising a first shaping inductor operably coupled with a first switching device, the first inductor operably coupled with an electrode of an electrochemical device; and a controller, using a relationship between frequency components of a charge signal and impedance, controlling, via a pulse width modulated (PWM) control signal to the first switch, the charge signal shaping circuit to generate a charge pulse from the inductor by the controlled switch, the charge pulse with a leading edge shaped by controlling a duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to the inductor and according to a sinusoid based on the relationship between frequency components of charge signal and impedance, the pulse further including a body portion following the shaped leading edge by controlling the switch to provide a constant duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to provide a steady current to define a width of the pulse..”
Regarding independent claim(s) 28, although the prior art discloses a battery cell charging system, the prior art of record does not disclose or teach the combination of:
“ a charge signal shaping circuit comprising a first inductor and a first switching device, the charge signal shaping circuit in electrical communication with a power rail; and a controller providing a pulse width module control signal to the first switching device to control current to the first inductor by controlling a duty cycle of a sequence of pulses to the inductor to controllably shape a leading edge of a charge signal pulse produced from the first inductor, the shape of the leading edge corresponding to a sinusoid at a frequency associated with a minimum impedance of the electrochemical device, the shaped leading edge followed by controlling the switch to provide a constant duty cycle of the sequence of pulses to provide a steady current from the inductor..”
Dependent claims 2-16,18-19,22-27, 29 and 32 are allowable for the reasons set forth supra with respect to the independent claims from which they depend.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYNESE V MCDANIEL whose telephone number is (313)446-6579. The examiner can normally be reached on M to F, 9am to 530pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be reached on 5712722312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TYNESE V MCDANIEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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