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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/11/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/11/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues on page 10, “ Landman does not teach that the first slave electronic module 46, a second slave electronic module 52 and an Nth slave electronic module 58 are connected in series as each slave module has its own voltage supply node (+V1, +V2, +VN).”
The examiner respectfully disagrees. Landman discloses that the first slave electronic module 46, the second slave electronic module 52 and the Nth slave electronic module 58 are powered by a power supply 84 (e.g., battery) via a daisy-chain conductor configuration or a group of series connections to the main power line 26 (paragraph [0008]).
The applicant further argues that, “In addition, Landman also does not teach that each of the first slave electronic module 46, a second slave electronic module 52 and an Nth slave electronic module 58 use a same amount of current, as the denominators in each measured current formula of Figure 3 are different.”
The examiner respectfully disagrees. The fig. 3 does not explain the use of the current of each module. The fig. 3 describes the output measured current at the node of the battery module (at nodes 30, 32, 34), paragraph [0046]. The 102 column of fig. 3 indicate the measurement of the current after being used by the particular slave module. Please note that each module is identical, thus, it consumes the same amount of current. Furthermore, the paragraph [0020] disclose that each electronic modules are represented by N where n is equal to any whole positive integer shows that each electronic modules are identical.
The applicant further argues that, “Also, Landman teaches, if the main power line 26 fails between the master electronic module 22 and the first slave electronic module 46, in a backup mode the master electronic module 22 (or its master microcontroller 20) may activate a backup power line 28 to provide backup power or electrical energy to the Nth slave electronic module 58.” The examiner respectfully makes it clear that the current rejection depends on the normal working operation of the battery pack and does not rely on the backup power operation.
The applicant's argument on page 11, regarding Park is not applicable because the rejection of the particular limitations do not rely on the Park reference.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-11, 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Landman et al. (US 2012/0284441), herein after Landman and Park (US 2012/0268069).
Regarding claim 1, Landman discloses a system for allocating communication identifications (IDs) (a system is capable of identification of electronic modules coupled to a data bus. A first slave electronic module and a second slave electronic module are adapted for communicating over the data bus, paragraph [0003]), the system comprising:
a plurality of slave battery management systems (BMSs) (46, 52, 58, fig. 1) sequentially connected to a power line for supplying power (paragraph [0008]), and allocating predetermined communication IDs based on a first current amount applied through the power line (A first current measurement circuits is capable of measuring a node current indicative of a number of other active slaves connected to the main power line and data bus. A master data processor in the master electronic module is arranged to assign a unique module identifier to a first slave electronic module based on the first node current and the aggregate current level, the unique module identifier indicating a respective position of the first slave electronic module on the data bus, Abstract); and
a master BMS (22, fig. 1) configured to communicate with the slave BMSs (paragraph [0033]),
wherein at least one slave BMS among the slave BMSs outputs a second current amount that is the first current amount minus a consumed current amount for driving through the power line (a first slave electronic module for communicating over the data bus, the first slave electronic module having a first resistor coupled in series with the main power line to provide a first incremental decrease in an aggregate current level of the main power line when the first slave electronic module is connected to the data bus and the main power line, claim 9; where the second output current amount can be calculated by subtracting the aggregate current and the consumed current by the first slave battery),
wherein the first current amount corresponds to a summation value of the consumed current amount of the at least one slave BMS receiving the first current amount and a consumed current amount of at least one posterior slave BMS sequentially connected to the at least one slave BMS receiving the first current amount (A master electronic module has a master current measurement circuit for determining an aggregate current level indicative of the total number of slave electronic modules on the main power line, abstract).
wherein the slave BMSs are connected in series (The first slave electronic module 46, the second slave electronic module 52 and the Nth slave electronic module 58 are powered by a power supply 84 (e.g., battery) via a daisy-chain conductor configuration or a group of series connections to the main power line 26, paragraph [0008]), and wherein each of the slave BMSs uses approximately an equal amount of current such that a last slave BMS located furthest away from a power source does not output any current (fig 3 shows the output current of the slave module and at the third position, the current is low. If one more slave module is added to the string, it will not output any current. Paragraph [0020] shows that the slave modules can be more than three and the output current has been decreasing after passing through each module, fig. 3).
Although, Landman discloses the slave modules can measure the current data and transmit it to the master battery module.
Park discloses a battery pack system (100, fig. 1) for setting sequential ID to a multi-slave BMS in a battery pack, the battery pack including N (N: natural number of 2 or more) slave BMSs having sequential physical locations to control a battery module containing at least one battery and a main BMS to control the N slave BMSs (paragraph [0019]), wherein each of the slave BMSs determines its own predetermined communication ID and communicates the allocated predetermined communication ID with the master BMS (a main BMS to transmit a trigger signal to a first slave BMS to initialize ID setting, a first slave BMS to receive the trigger signal and transmit ID information of the first slave BMS to the main BMS, paragraph [0025]Note: the Salve already stored ID in it considered as predetermined communication ID), wherein the master BMS verifies the allocated predetermined communication ID for each of the slave BMSs, and wherein, when the master BMS determines that the slave BMSs have erroneously determined the predetermined communication ID, the master BMS assigns corrected predetermined communication ID for each of the slave BMSs (paragraph [0020]-[0024]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of claimed invention, to modify Landman’s battery pack system to include the feature of having own predetermined ID in the slave module based on the physical location and communicate it with the main controller as taught by Park, in order to improve the monitoring and controlling the battery pack efficiently (paragraph [0010]).
Regarding claim 2, Landman further discloses wherein the slave BMSs include: a shunt resistor coupled in series to the power line (The first slave electronic module has a first resistor coupled in series with a main power line, paragraph [0003]); a slave storage (data storage device 208, fig. 2) for storing information for indicating resistance of the shunt resistor (paragraph [0042]Note: the storage device store multiple data related to the slave battery); and a slave controller (processor 210, fig. 2; paragraph [0041]) for measuring voltages at a front end and a rear end of the shunt resistor to calculate a voltage value caused by a voltage drop, and calculating the first current amount based on the voltage value and resistance of the shunt resistor (paragraph [0042] the current is measured with the help of resistor. The voltage is drop across the resistor and the current is measured based on the voltage drop across the resistor).
Regarding claim 3, Landman further discloses wherein the master BMS (a master microcontroller 20, fig. 1) includes a communication ID allocating table in which a plurality of communication IDs corresponding to a number of the slave BMSs and the first current amounts are recorded into a signal for instructing allocation of the communication IDs and broadcasting the same (The master microcontroller 20 or master electronic module 22 may use a look-up table similar to FIG. 2, a file (e.g. inverted file), a data record, data base or other data structure to identify the value of the measured current at the Nth node 34. Once the value of the measured current is identified as approximately equal to V/(R1+R2+R3+RM), the corresponding measuring slave is identified as the third or Nth slave electronic module 54, which is farthest from the master electronic module 22, paragraph [0048]-[0050]).
Regarding claim 4, Landman further discloses wherein the slave BMSs further include a slave communicator for communicating with the master BMS and receiving the signal (the first slave electronic module 46, a second slave electronic module 52, an Nth slave electronic module 58, and a master electronic module 22 are capable of communicating data (e.g., between any two modules) over the data bus 24, paragraph [0023]), and when receiving the signal through the slave communicator, the slave controller measures voltages at the front end and the rear end of the shunt resistor and calculates the first current amount (paragraph [0013]).
Regarding claim 5, Landman further discloses wherein the slave controller allocates the communication ID (column 100 of fig. 3) that corresponds to the calculated first current amount as the communication ID of the slave controller based on the communication ID allocating table (fig. 3).
Regarding claim 6, Landman further discloses wherein the master BMS receives the calculated first current amount and the allocated communication ID from the slave BMSs, and compares the received first current amount and the received communication ID and the communication ID allocating table to verify allocation of communication IDs of the slave BMSs (The current measurement circuit (42, 48, 54) may comprise a transimpedance amplifier, a transresistance amplifier, a differential amplifier for measuring a voltage drop across resistor (R1, R2, R3) for measuring the current at a supply node before entering the electronic module (46, 52, 58) or for measuring a current at an output node leaving the electronic module, so long as the current is measured at the same node for each module to allow for accurate comparison of measured current data within the master electronic module 22, paragraph [0013]the comparison is showing in the table of fig. 3).
Regarding claim 7, Landman further discloses wherein the communication ID is an ID for controller area network (CAN) communication (The data bus 24 may comprise a controller area network (CAN) data bus, paragraph [0007]).
Regarding claim 8, Landman further discloses wherein the master BMS is operable by the power source for supplying the power to the slave BMSs (power supply 84 supply power to each component, fig. 1, paragraph [0008]).
Regarding claim 9, Landman discloses a method for allocating communication identification (IDs) of a plurality of slave battery management systems (BMSs) sequentially connected to a power line for supplying power based on a first current amount applied through the power line (The first slave electronic module 46, the second slave electronic module 52 and the Nth slave electronic module 58 are powered by a power supply 84 (e.g., battery) via a daisy-chain conductor configuration or a group of series connections to the main power line 26, paragraph [0008]), comprising
allowing the slave BMSs to allocate predetermined communication IDs as communication IDs of the slave BMSs based on the first current amount (a system 11 is capable of identification of electronic modules (46, 52, 58) coupled to a data bus 24, paragraph [0007]),
wherein at least one of the slave BMSs outputs a second current amount that is the first current amount minus a consumed current amount for driving through the power line (a first slave electronic module for communicating over the data bus, the first slave electronic module having a first resistor coupled in series with the main power line to provide a first incremental decrease in an aggregate current level of the main power line when the first slave electronic module is connected to the data bus and the main power line, claim 9; where the second output current amount can be calculated by subtracting the aggregate current and the consumed current by the first slave battery), and
the first current amount corresponds to a summation value of a consumed current amount of the at least one slave BMS receiving the first current amount and a consumed current amount of at least one posterior slave BMS sequentially connected to the at least one slave BMS receiving the first current amount(A master electronic module has a master current measurement circuit for determining an aggregate current level indicative of the total number of slave electronic modules on the main power line, abstract).
wherein the slave BMSs are connected in series (The first slave electronic module 46, the second slave electronic module 52 and the Nth slave electronic module 58 are powered by a power supply 84 (e.g., battery) via a daisy-chain conductor configuration or a group of series connections to the main power line 26, paragraph [0008]), and wherein each of the slave BMSs uses approximately an equal amount of current such that a last slave BMS located furthest away from a power source does not output any current (fig 3 shows the output current of the slave module and at the third position, the current is low. If one more slave module is added to the string, it will not output any current. Paragraph [0020] shows that the slave modules can be more than three and the output current has been decreasing after passing through each module, fig. 3).
Landman discloses the method steps where the slave modules can measure the current data and transmit it to the master battery module.
However, Landman does not explicitly disclose the method steps of determining, by each of the slave BMSs, the predetermined communication ID and communicating the allocated predetermined communication ID with the master BMS; and verifying, by the master BMS, the allocated predetermined communication ID for each of the slave BMSs, wherein when the master BMS determines that the slave BMSs have erroneously determined the predetermined communication ID, the master BMS assigns corrected predetermined communication ID for each of the slave BMS.
Park discloses a battery pack system (100, fig. 1) having a method for setting sequential ID to a multi-slave BMS in a battery pack, the battery pack including N (N: natural number of 2 or more) slave BMSs having sequential physical locations to control a battery module containing at least one battery and a main BMS to control the N slave BMSs (paragraph [0019]),
The method includes a step of determining, by each of the slave BMSs, the predetermined communication ID and communicating the allocated predetermined communication ID with the master BMS; and verifying, by the master BMS, the allocated predetermined communication ID for each of the slave BMSs (a main BMS to transmit a trigger signal to a first slave BMS to initialize ID setting, a first slave BMS to receive the trigger signal and transmit ID information of the first slave BMS to the main BMS, paragraph [0025]Note: the Salve already stored ID in it considered as predetermined communication ID), wherein when the master BMS determines that the slave BMSs have erroneously determined the predetermined communication ID, the master BMS assigns corrected predetermined communication ID for each of the slave BMS (paragraph [0020]-[0024]).
Regarding claim 10, Landman further discloses wherein the allocating of the predetermined communication IDs as the communication IDs of the slave BMSs based on the first current amount includes:
measuring voltages at a front end and a rear end of a shunt resistor coupled in series to the power line and calculating a voltage value caused by a voltage drop; calculating the first current amount based on the voltage value and resistance of the shunt resistor (The current measurement circuit (42, 48, 54) may comprise a transimpedance amplifier, a transresistance amplifier, a differential amplifier for measuring a voltage drop across resistor (R1, R2, R3) for measuring the current at a supply node before entering the electronic module (46, 52, 58) or for measuring a current at an output node leaving the electronic module, so long as the current is measured at the same node for each module to allow for accurate comparison of measured current data within the master electronic module 22, paragraph [0013]); and
allocating the communication ID that corresponds to the calculated first current amount as the communication of the slave BMS ID based on the communication ID allocating table in which a plurality of communication IDs corresponding to a plurality of first current amounts are recorded (fig. 3, paragraph [0046]).
Regarding claim 11, Landman further discloses after the allocating of the predetermined communication IDs as the communication IDs of the slave BMSs based on the first current amount, allowing a master BMS to receive the calculated first current amount and the allocated communication ID from the slave BMSs, and verify allocation of communication IDs of the respective slave BMSs (The second slave electronic module 52 reports the measured current to the master electronic module 22. The master microcontroller 20 or master electronic module 22 may use a look-up table similar to FIG. 2, a file (e.g. inverted file), a data record, data base or other data structure to identify the value of the measured current at the second node 32. Once the value of the measured current is identified as approximately equal to (or proportional to) V/(R1+R2+RM), the corresponding measuring slave is identified as the second slave electronic module 52, which is second closest to or second in sequence downstream from the master electronic module 22, paragraph [0049]).
Regarding claim 14, Landman further discloses wherein the slave BMSs further include resistors, and wherein the resistors include resistors located at each end of the shunt resistor (the RR (reference resistors included in each slave modules, fig. 1)).
Regarding claim 15, Landman further discloses wherein the slave controller is connected to each of the resistors located at each end of the shunt resistor (the resistor RR is connected to the slave controller 44 through a switch s1, fig. 1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SADIA KOUSAR whose telephone number is (571)272-3386. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached at (571) 272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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SADIA . KOUSAR
Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859