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 .
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 04/06/2026 has been entered. Claims 1 and 4-7 have been amended. Claims 1-20 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-3, 5-7, 9-11 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. ( US 20250116769 A1) in view of Hong et al. (US 20220240190 A1) and further in view of Kholaif et al. (US 20100246460 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Li teaches a wireless battery management system (WBMS) (Within the vehicle, nodes can also be battery management systems and batteries in battery packs, page 14, lines 15-16), comprising:
one or more sets of battery cells (In a vehicle, the node may alternatively be a battery management system and a battery in a battery pack, [0141]);
a primary node (first node of Fig. 10) configured to broadcast a downlink packet in a first superframe (S1001: A first node broadcasts a first ranging frame on a first channel, [0245]; For example, in one superframe, the first ranging frame includes one first radio frame, and the second ranging frame and the third ranging frame each include one second radio frame. For ranging interaction in the superframe, refer to FIG. 10-1. In FIG. 10-1, a radio frame #0 to a radio frame #11 are used to perform control information transmission, and the second ranging frame is before the third ranging frame, [0253]);
a first secondary node coupled to a first set of battery cells (second node #1 of Fig. 10 and the node may alternatively be a battery management system and a battery in a battery pack, [0141]), the first secondary node configured to:
receive the downlink packet via a transmission medium (A first node sends a fourth ranging frame to a second node on the second channel. Correspondingly, the second node receives the fourth ranging frame from the first node, [0257]);
transmit a first uplink packet via the transmission medium to the primary node during the first superframe (Correspondingly, the second node in the communication domain receives the first ranging frame from the first node, [0246], first channel, Fig. 10)
However, Li does not clearly teach a first set of battery cells; a second set of battery cells; a second secondary node coupled to a second set of battery cells, the second secondary node configured to: receive the first uplink packet from the first secondary node in the first superframe via the transmission medium wherein the first uplink packet includes a second wake up indicator; and responsive to receiving the first uplink packet including the second wake up indicator from the first secondary node, transmit a second uplink packet via the transmission medium to the primary node during a second superframe.
In an analogous art, Hong teaches a first set of battery cells (Each of the monitor nodes 200-N may be equipped in one or more battery modules each including a set of cells, [0046], e.g. manager Node 100 of Fig. 1); a second set of battery cells (Each of the monitor nodes 200-N may be equipped in one or more battery modules each including a set of cells, monitor node 200-1 of Fig. 1); second secondary node (e.g. monitor node #2 of Fig. 7) coupled to a second set of battery cells (Each of the monitor nodes 200-N may be equipped in one or more battery modules each including a set of cells, [0046]), the second secondary node configured to: receive the first uplink packet from the first secondary node in the first superframe via the transmission medium (the monitor node #3 200-3 may broadcast battery data, which is to transmitted to the manager node 100, to the other monitor nodes… the monitor node #3 200-3 may broadcast the battery data by using one or all of the primary channel and the secondary channel, [0082]) wherein the first uplink packet includes a second wake up indicator (the manager controller 140 may broadcast, to all monitor nodes 200-N, channel change data including channel change flag activation information, the identification information about the preliminary primary channel, and the identification information about the preliminary secondary channel, [0110]); and responsive to receiving the first uplink packet including the second wake up indicator from the first secondary node (the manager controller 140 may broadcast, to all monitor nodes 200-N, channel change data including channel change flag activation information, the identification information about the preliminary primary channel, and the identification information about the preliminary secondary channel, [0110]), transmit a second uplink packet via the transmission medium to the primary node during a second superframe (Then, the monitor node #2 200-2 selected as a relay node may transfer the battery data, received from the monitor node #3 200-3, to the manager node 100, [0082] and Each of the monitor nodes 200-N may preferentially communicate with the manager node 100 through a primary channel... When a communication state of the primary channel is abnormal, each of the monitor nodes 200-N may communicate with the manager node 100 by using a secondary channel instead of the primary channel, [0065]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li with the broadcasting of Hong to provide a wireless battery management system, and more particularly, to a wireless battery management system, a node for wireless communication, and a method of transmitting data, which ensure stability when obtaining battery data through wireless communication as suggested, Hong [0002].
However, Li and Hong do not teach a primary node configurable to broadcast a downlink packet in a first superframe, wherein the downlink packet includes a first wake up indicator.
In an analogous art, Kholaif teaches a primary node configurable to broadcast a downlink packet in a first superframe, wherein the downlink packet includes a first wake up indicator (AP produces and then transmits data to the end stations which indicate the activated service intervals that are made available to the end stations for communication access. The data which indicate the activated service intervals may do so directly by listing the service intervals by identifiers (see e.g. FIG. 4) associated with the service intervals… these data are broadcasted in a beacon frame to the end stations, [0070]; The AP transmits, to the end stations, data which indicates the current/updated activated service intervals in the superframe that are made available to the end stations for communications, [0026]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li and Hong with the activation service of Kholaif to provide a method for controlling a wireless access point (AP) (e.g. a battery-powered wireless AP) for reduced power consumption as suggested, Kholaif Abstract.
Regarding claim 2, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the WBMS of claim 1, wherein the first superframe and the second superframe are consecutive superframes (the first ranging frame repeatedly appears in the L1 continuous superframes, Li [0227]) .
Regarding claim 3, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the WBMS of claim 1, wherein the second secondary node fails to receive the downlink packet (when a beacon signal is not received through the primary channel for a predetermined time, Hong [0075]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li and Kholaif with the broadcasting of Hong to provide a wireless battery management system, and more particularly, to a wireless battery management system, a node for wireless communication, and a method of transmitting data, which ensure stability when obtaining battery data through wireless communication as suggested, Hong [0002].
Regarding claim 5, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the WBMS of claim 1. Hong further teaches wherein the first secondary node receives the downlink packet in a first slot of the first superframe and transmits the first uplink packet in a second slot of the first superframe (see messages of Hong Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li and Kholaif with the broadcasting of Hong to provide a wireless battery management system, and more particularly, to a wireless battery management system, a node for wireless communication, and a method of transmitting data, which ensure stability when obtaining battery data through wireless communication as suggested, Hong [0002].
Regarding claim 6, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the WBMS of claim 5, wherein the second secondary node receives the first uplink packet in the second slot (see messages of Hong Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li and Kholaif with the broadcasting of Hong to provide a wireless battery management system, and more particularly, to a wireless battery management system, a node for wireless communication, and a method of transmitting data, which ensure stability when obtaining battery data through wireless communication as suggested, Hong [0002].
Regarding claim 7, Li teaches a method (method of Fig. 9-10), comprising:
transmitting a downlink packet from a primary node to one or more secondary nodes in a first superframe in a wireless battery management system (WBMS) (S1001: A first node broadcasts a first ranging frame on a first channel, [0245]; For example, in one superframe, the first ranging frame includes one first radio frame, and the second ranging frame and the third ranging frame each include one second radio frame. For ranging interaction in the superframe, refer to FIG. 10-1. In FIG. 10-1, a radio frame #0 to a radio frame #11 are used to perform control information transmission, and the second ranging frame is before the third ranging frame, [0253]);
receiving the downlink packet at a first secondary node via a transmission medium (the second node receives the fourth ranging frame from the first node, [0257]);
transmitting a first uplink packet via the transmission medium from the first secondary node to the primary node in the first superframe (The second node sends a fifth ranging frame to the first node on the second channel, [0260]; the first ranging frame includes one first radio frame, and the second ranging frame and the third ranging frame each include one second radio frame. For ranging interaction in the superframe, refer to FIG. 10-1. In FIG. 10-1, a radio frame #0 to a radio frame #11 are used to perform control information transmission, and the second ranging frame is before the third ranging frame, [0253]);
receiving the first uplink packet at a second secondary node in the first superframe via the transmission medium (Correspondingly, the second node in the communication domain receives the first ranging frame from the first node, [0246], first channel, Fig. 10).
However, Li does not clearly teach a second secondary node coupled to a second set of battery cells, the second secondary node configured to: receive the first uplink packet from the first secondary node in the first superframe via the transmission medium from the first secondary node to the primary node in the first superframe, wherein the first uplink packet includes a second wake up indicator; and responsive to receiving the first uplink packet including the second wake up indicator from the first secondary node, transmit a second uplink packet via the transmission medium to the primary node during a second superframe.
In an analogous art, Hong teaches a second secondary node (e.g. monitor node #2 of Fig. 7) coupled to a second set of battery cells (Each of the monitor nodes 200-N may be equipped in one or more battery modules each including a set of cells, [0046]), the second secondary node configured to: receive the first uplink packet from the first secondary node in the first superframe via the transmission medium (the monitor node #3 200-3 may broadcast battery data, which is to transmitted to the manager node 100, to the other monitor nodes… the monitor node #3 200-3 may broadcast the battery data by using one or all of the primary channel and the secondary channel, [0082]) medium from the first secondary node to the primary node in the first superframe, wherein the first uplink packet includes a second wake up indicator (the manager controller 140 may broadcast, to all monitor nodes 200-N, channel change data including channel change flag activation information, the identification information about the preliminary primary channel, and the identification information about the preliminary secondary channel, [0110]); and responsive to receiving the first uplink packet including the second wake up indicator from the first secondary node (the manager controller 140 may broadcast, to all monitor nodes 200-N, channel change data including channel change flag activation information, the identification information about the preliminary primary channel, and the identification information about the preliminary secondary channel, [0110]), transmit a second uplink packet via the transmission medium to the primary node during a second superframe (Then, the monitor node #2 200-2 selected as a relay node may transfer the battery data, received from the monitor node #3 200-3, to the manager node 100, [0082] and Each of the monitor nodes 200-N may preferentially communicate with the manager node 100 through a primary channel... When a communication state of the primary channel is abnormal, each of the monitor nodes 200-N may communicate with the manager node 100 by using a secondary channel instead of the primary channel, [0065]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li with the broadcasting of Hong to provide a wireless battery management system, and more particularly, to a wireless battery management system, a node for wireless communication, and a method of transmitting data, which ensure stability when obtaining battery data through wireless communication as suggested, Hong [0002].
However, Li and Hong do not teach wherein the downlink packet includes a first wake up indicator.
In an analogous art, Kholaif teaches wherein the downlink packet includes a first wake up indicator (AP produces and then transmits data to the end stations which indicate the activated service intervals that are made available to the end stations for communication access. The data which indicate the activated service intervals may do so directly by listing the service intervals by identifiers (see e.g. FIG. 4) associated with the service intervals… these data are broadcasted in a beacon frame to the end stations, [0070]; The AP transmits, to the end stations, data which indicates the current/updated activated service intervals in the superframe that are made available to the end stations for communications, [0026]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li and Hong with the activation service of Kholaif to provide a method for controlling a wireless access point (AP) (e.g. a battery-powered wireless AP) for reduced power consumption as suggested, Kholaif Abstract.
Regarding claim 9, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the method of claim 7. Hong teaches wherein the primary node transmits the downlink packet in a first slot of the first superframe, and the first secondary node receives the downlink packet in the first slot (see messages of Hong Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li and Kholaif with the broadcasting of Hong to provide a wireless battery management system, and more particularly, to a wireless battery management system, a node for wireless communication, and a method of transmitting data, which ensure stability when obtaining battery data through wireless communication as suggested, Hong [0002].
Regarding claim 10, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the method of claim 9. Hong further teaches wherein the first secondary node transmits the first uplink packet in a second slot of the first superframe (see messages of Hong Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li and Kholaif with the broadcasting of Hong to provide a wireless battery management system, and more particularly, to a wireless battery management system, a node for wireless communication, and a method of transmitting data, which ensure stability when obtaining battery data through wireless communication as suggested, Hong [0002].
Regarding claim 11, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the method of claim 10. Hong further teaches wherein the second secondary node fails to receive the downlink packet (when a beacon signal is not received through the primary channel for a predetermined time, Hong [0075]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li and Kholaif with the broadcasting of Hong to provide a wireless battery management system, and more particularly, to a wireless battery management system, a node for wireless communication, and a method of transmitting data, which ensure stability when obtaining battery data through wireless communication as suggested, Hong [0002].
Regarding claim 14, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the method of claim 7, wherein the first superframe and the second superframe are consecutive superframes (the first ranging frame repeatedly appears in the L1 continuous superframes, Li [0227]).
Claims 4, 8 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. ( US 20250116769 A1) in view of Hong and further in view of Kholaif and Raza et al. (US 20210306993 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the WBMS of claim 3.
However, Li, Hong and Kholaif do not teach wherein the second secondary node includes a receiver, and wherein, responsive to failing to receive the downlink packet, the second secondary node turns on the receiver.
In an analogous art, Raza further teaches wherein the second secondary node includes a receiver (module 710 of Fig. 7), and wherein, responsive to failing to receive the downlink packet, the second secondary node turns on the receiver (The controller node 110 and the third non-controller node 113 are each not aware of the contents of one of the data packets and therefore are unable to derive the first parity packet to be transmitted during the synchronous parity timeslot 124. Therefore, these nodes 110, 113 listen during the synchronous parity timeslot 124 to receive the first parity packet, [0173]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li, Hong and Kholaif with the emergency superframe of Raza to provide a method and a system for a rapid method of communicating information from one or more origin nodes to all other nodes in the network. The method may reduce the chance of packet loss by transmitting parity packets derived from the transmitted data packets, which may allow nodes to obtain packets that they did not successfully receive during the data timeslots as suggested, Raza [0020].
Regarding claim 8, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the method of claim 7.
However, Li, Hong and Kholaif do not teach wherein the first secondary node is coupled to a first set of battery cells, and the second secondary node is coupled to a second set of battery cells.
In an analogous art, Raza teaches wherein the first secondary node is coupled to a first set of battery cells, and the second secondary node is coupled to a second set of battery cells (The one or more controller nodes of a BMU network may transmit instructions to the plurality of non-controller nodes (which are or are associated with the cell management units). These instructions may include instructions for scheduling transmissions by the nodes in different timeslots, requests for information, and/or commands to initiate processes such as providing top-up charging to individual cells in order to equalize the charge between different cells of the battery, Raza [0028]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li, Hong and Kholaif with the emergency superframe of Raza to provide a method and a system for a rapid method of communicating information from one or more origin nodes to all other nodes in the network. The method may reduce the chance of packet loss by transmitting parity packets derived from the transmitted data packets, which may allow nodes to obtain packets that they did not successfully receive during the data timeslots as suggested, Raza [0020].
Regarding claim 12, Li as modified by Hong and Kholaif teaches the method of claim 11.
However, Li, Hong and Kholaif do not teach wherein the second secondary node includes a receiver, and wherein, responsive to failing to receive the downlink packet, the second secondary node turns on the receiver.
In an analogous art, Raza teaches wherein the second secondary node includes a receiver (module 710 of Fig. 7), and wherein, responsive to failing to receive the downlink packet, the second secondary node turns on the receiver (The controller node 110 and the third non-controller node 113 are each not aware of the contents of one of the data packets and therefore are unable to derive the first parity packet to be transmitted during the synchronous parity timeslot 124. Therefore, these nodes 110, 113 listen during the synchronous parity timeslot 124 to receive the first parity packet, [0173]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the battery management of Li, Hong and Kholaif with the emergency superframe of Raza to provide a method and a system for a rapid method of communicating information from one or more origin nodes to all other nodes in the network. The method may reduce the chance of packet loss by transmitting parity packets derived from the transmitted data packets, which may allow nodes to obtain packets that they did not successfully receive during the data timeslots as suggested, Raza [0020].
Regarding claim 13, Li as modified by Hong, Kholaif and Raza teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the second secondary node receives the first uplink packet in the second slot (Hong Figs. 2).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Duhaut et al. (US 20180375371 A1): The invention concerns a battery control system, and a wireless battery control device. The wireless battery control device is connected to a battery harness, and comprises a current and voltage sensor; a wireless battery temperature sensor; a wireless battery electrolyte level sensor; and a wireless battery vibration sensor. The wireless battery control device is configured to receive and record data from each of the temperature, electrolyte level, and vibration sensors, and transmit that data to one or more external recording devices. The wireless battery control device sends a battery charging profile to a battery charger and is further configured to control the discharge of the battery.
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 NICOLE M LOUIS-FILS whose telephone number is (571)270-0671. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/NICOLE M LOUIS-FILS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2641
/CHARLES N APPIAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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