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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on October 24, 2025 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on January 5, 2026 has been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered as to the merits. It is noted that the Applicant has listed an extremely large number of documents for consideration in the information disclosure statements submitted in this application.
As noted in MPEP 2001.05, if information is not material, there is no duty to disclose the information to the Office. Information is not material unless it comes within the definition of 37 CFR 1.56(b)(1) or (2). As noted in MPEP 2004 (Section 13), it is desirable to avoid the submission of long lists of documents if it can be avoided.
It is suggested that Applicants eliminate clearly irrelevant and marginally pertinent cumulative information. If a long list is submitted, highlight those documents which have been specifically brought to Applicant's attention and/or are known to be of most significance.
Consideration by the Examiner of the information submitted in an IDS means that the Examiner has considered the documents in the same manner as other documents in Office search files are considered by the Examiner while conducting a search of the prior art in a proper field of search,609.05(b ). Foreign language documents have been considered for relevance in light of information provided by applicant under guidelines in MPEP 609.04(a)(III).
There is no requirement that applicants explain the materiality of English language references, however the cloaking of a clearly relevant reference in a long list of references may not comply with applicants' duty to disclose, see Penn Yan Boats, Inc. v. Sea Lark Boats, Inc., 359 F. Supp. 948, aff'd 479 F. 2d. 1338. There is no duty for the Examiner to consider these references to a greater extent than those ordinarily looked at during a regular search by the Examiner.
Accordingly, the Examiner has considered these references in the same manner as references encountered during a normal search of Office search files, MPEP 2004 particularly paragraph No. 13, dealing with lengthy information disclosure statements and 609.05(b).
With respect to foreign language references with no translation of the document: "If no translation is submitted, the Examiner will consider the information in view of the concise explanation and insofar as it is understood on its face, e.g., drawings, chemical formulas, English language abstracts, in the same manner that non-English language information in Office search files is considered by examiner in conducting searches." See MPEP §609.04(a)(II) (D) and 37 CFR 1.98(a)(3)(ii).
Claim Objections
Claim 28 is objected to because of the following informalities: L24 recites “an electric solution” but should recite “an electrolyte solution”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 28 is 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.
Claim 28 recites the limitation "the one of plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries" in L28-29. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 28 recites “wherein the control circuit is configured to make the first lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries generate heat by charging and discharging the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries so that the first lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary barriers is heated…”. However, it is unclear if the first lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries generates heat or if the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries generates heat by the charging and discharging, e.g. see Claims 1 and 26 and [0068], [0071] of the instant specification as an example.
The Examiner suggests amending Claim 28 as recited below in light of Claims 1 and 26 and [0068], [0071] of the instant specification.
A storage battery comprising:
a temperature sensor;
a control circuit;
a plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries operating in a first temperature range;
a plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries operating in a second temperature range; and
a plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries operating in a third temperature range,
wherein one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries is adjacent to a first lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries and a second lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries,
wherein the first lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries is adjacent to a first lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries,
wherein the second lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries is adjacent to a second lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries,
wherein the first temperature range is lower than the second temperature range,
wherein the second temperature range is lower than the third temperature range,
wherein the first temperature range, the second temperature range, and the third temperature range are controlled by using different mixture ratios of an ionic liquid to an organic solvent in an electrolyte solution,
wherein the number of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries is smaller than the number of the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries and the number of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries,
wherein the temperature sensor is configured to sense a temperature of the first lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries, and
wherein the control circuit is configured to make the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries generate heat by charging and discharging the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries so that the first lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries is heated to the third temperature range, when the temperature of the first lithium-ion secondary battery of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries sensed by the temperature sensor is lower than a lower limit of the third temperature range.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed October 24, 2025, with respect to amended Claim 1 and new Claims 26 and 28 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of Claim 1 has been withdrawn.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-3, 5-6, 8-9, 11, 25-27 are allowed.
The following is an Examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The invention of Claim 1 is directed to a storage battery comprising:
a temperature sensor;
a control circuit;
a plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries operating in a first temperature range;
a plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries operating in a second temperature range; and
a plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries operating in a third temperature range,
wherein one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries is adjacent to one of the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries,
wherein the one of the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries is adjacent to one of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries,
wherein the first temperature range is lower than the second temperature range,
wherein the second temperature range is lower than the third temperature range,
wherein the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries comprise an ionic liquid as an electrolyte solution,
wherein the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries comprise an ionic liquid and an organic solvent as an electrolyte solution,
wherein the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries comprise an ionic liquid, an organic solvent, and none, one, or a plurality of a molecular crystalline electrolyte, a semi-solid-state electrolyte, and an all-solid-state electrolyte as an electrolyte solution, and a negative electrode comprising lithium titanate,
wherein the number of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries is smaller than the number of the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries and the number of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries,
wherein the temperature sensor is configured to sense a temperature of the one of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries, and
wherein the control circuit is configured to make the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries generate heat by charging and discharging the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries so that the one of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries is heated to the third temperature range, when the temperature of the one of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries sensed by the temperature sensor is lower than a lower limit of the third temperature range.
The closest prior art is considered to be Gerling et al. (US PGPub 2022/0077512 A1), and further in view of Saruwatari et al. (US PGPub 2006/0204855 A1) and Yamazaki et al. (US PGPub 2023/0130800 A1, cited on the IDS dated October 14, 2024), with evidence provided by Chu et al. (US PGPub 2014/0349184 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, modified Gerling discloses substantially all of the limitations as set forth in the prior Office Action dated July 25, 2025.
Specifically, modified Gerling discloses a storage battery (1 of Gerling) comprising:
a plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries (2.1, 2.2 of Gerling) operating in a first temperature range ([0038], [0018] of Gerling);
a plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries (3.1, 3.2 of Gerling) operating in a second temperature range ([0038], [0019] of Gerling);
wherein one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries (2.1, 2.2 of Gerling) is adjacent to one of the second lithium-ion secondary batteries (3.1, 3.2 of Gerling) ([0038] of Gerling).
Specifically, modified Gerling discloses wherein a control circuit (8 of Gerling) is configured to make the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries (2.1, 2.2 of Gerling) generate heat so that the one of the plurality of second lithium-ion batteries (3.1, 3.2 of Gerling) is heated to the second temperature range, when the temperature of the one of the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries (3.1, 3.2 of Gerling) sensed by the temperature sensor (7.1, 7.2 of Gerling) is lower than the lower limit of the second temperature range ([0020]-[0021] of Gerling, see (c) of [0020]).
However, modified Gerling does not disclose a plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries operating in a third temperature range and consequently does not disclose wherein the second temperature range is lower than the third temperature range, wherein the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries comprise an ionic liquid, an organic solvent, and none, one or a plurality of a molecular crystalline electrolyte, a semi-solid-state electrolyte, and an all-solid-state electrolyte as an electrolyte solution, and a negative electrode comprising lithium titanate, wherein the number of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries is smaller than the number of the plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries and the number of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to sense a temperature of the one of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries, and wherein the control circuit is configured to make the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries generate heat by charging and discharging the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries so that the one of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries is heated to the third temperature range, when the temperature of the one of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries sensed by the temperature sensor is lower than a lower limit of the third temperature range.
Yamazaki teaches a storage battery comprising a plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries operating in a first temperature range, a plurality of second lithium-ion secondary batteries operating in a second temperature range, and a plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries ([0028], [0109]).
However, Yamazaki teaches wherein the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries operate in the second temperature range ([0028]).
Consequently, Yamazaki does not teach wherein the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries operate in a third temperature range, wherein the second temperature range is lower than the third temperature range.
The Examiner notes that the instant specification discloses that with the claimed structure, heat generated by the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries can be efficiently conducted to the one of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries so that the storage battery can operate in a wide temperature range even with a small number of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries, which are factors of cost increase ([0059], [0065]-[0067]).
It would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the storage battery of modified Gerling to further comprise a plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries operating in a third temperature range, wherein the second temperature range of modified Gerling is lower than the third temperature range, wherein the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries comprise an ionic liquid, an organic solvent, and none, one or a plurality of a molecular crystalline electrolyte, a semi-solid-state electrolyte, and an all-solid-state electrolyte as an electrolyte solution, and a negative electrode comprising lithium titanate, wherein the number of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries of modified Gerling is smaller than the number of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries, as called for in the claimed invention, as such a configuration was neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art and therefore the skilled artisan would not have been motivated to do so nor would have a reasonable expectation that doing so would successfully efficiently conduct heat generated by the one of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries of modified Gerling to the one of the plurality of third lithium-ion secondary batteries so that the storage battery can operate in a wide temperature range even with a small number of the plurality of first lithium-ion secondary batteries, which are factors of cost increase, as realized by the claimed invention.
In other words, the Examiner notes that the prior art does not disclose, teach, suggest, or render obvious a storage battery comprising a plurality of first, second, and third lithium-ion secondary batteries, each configured to comprise a specific number of lithium-ion secondary batteries within the plurality and a specific electrolyte solution so as to have distinct operating temperatures, in combination with all of the other limitations taken as a whole.
Claims 2-3, 5-6, 8-9, 11, and 25 are dependent on Claim 1 and therefore are allowable for the reasons set forth above.
Claim 26 contains substantially similar limitations as set forth in Claim 1 and therefore is allowable for the reasons set forth above.
Claim 27 depends on Claim 26 and therefore is allowable for the reasons set forth above.
Conclusion
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/KIMBERLY WYLUDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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