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 .
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 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.
DETAILED ACTION
This is a response to the amendment filed on 10/27/25. The applicant argument regarding Lim et al. is not persuasive; therefore, all the rejections based on Lim et al. is retained and repeated for the following reasons.
Summary of claims
Claims 1-17 are pending.
Claims 1-17 are rejected.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on November 21th, 2022 is acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lim et al. (U.S Pub. No. 2008/0088279).
As to claims 1, the prior art teaches a battery management system comprising:
a battery management system (BMS) monitoring a battery, turning on/off a main relay connected to an output of the battery, and receiving power through a power switch (see fig 1, fig 2 paragraph 0021-0030; especially, Lim et al. teach a battery management system (BMS) monitoring a battery, turning on/off a main relay connected to an output of the battery, and receiving power through a power switch as fig 1, fig 2 paragraph 0022-0028);
a sensor unit (see fig 1, element 10) measuring a state of the battery to generate battery state information (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0029-0039; especially, Lim et al. teach a sensor unit (see fig 1, element 10) measuring a state of the battery to generate battery state information as fig 1-2 paragraph 0030-0037);
and a controller configured to: receive the battery state information from the sensor unit, detect an occurrence of a failure event of the battery based on the battery state information, control the main relay based on whether a maintenance time of the failure event being longer than a reference time Tid and whether the number of times of the occurrence of the failure event being greater than a reference set value Sth, and provide a turn on/off command to the power switch (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0038-0047; especially, Lim et al. teach and a controller configured to: receive the battery state information from the sensor unit, detect an occurrence of a failure event of the battery based on the battery state information, control the main relay based on whether a maintenance time of the failure event being longer than a reference time Tid and whether the number of times of the occurrence of the failure event being greater than a reference set value Sth, and provide a turn on/off command to the power switch as fig 1-3 paragraph 0039-0046).
As to claim 2 and 12, the prior art teaches wherein the battery state information includes at least one of voltage information, current information, and temperature information of the battery (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0043-0049).
As to claim 3 and 13 the prior art teaches wherein the controller determines that the failure event has occurred when a measured voltage of the battery exceeds a reference voltage Vmax Or a measured temperature of the battery exceeds a reference temperature Tmax (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0048-0053).
As to claim 4 and 15, the prior art teaches wherein when the maintenance time of the failure event is longer than Tia, the controller diagnoses the failure event and determines whether or not the battery is abnormal for a predetermined time To (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0050-0055).
As to claim 5 and 16 the prior art teaches wherein the controller turns off the main relay when the predetermined time Ts is longer than a reference time Toth greater than Tua (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0053-0059).
As to claim 6, the prior art teaches wherein in a case where the predetermined time Tz is equal to or shorter than a reference time Teth greater than Tia, when a current of the battery is I0 that is a predetermined reference, the controller provides a turn-off command to the power switch (see fig 2-3 paragraph 0056-0061).
As to claim 7 and 17, the prior art teaches wherein in a case where the predetermined time Te is equal to or shorter than a reference time Teth greater than Tia, when a current of the battery is greater than I0 that is a predetermined reference, the controller turns off the main relay, and provides a turn-on maintenance command to the power switch (see fig 2-3 paragraph 0029-0036).
As to claim 8 and 14 the prior art teaches wherein the controller accumulatively increases a stress index of the battery when the failure event occurs, and turns off the main relay when a duration of the failure event is equal to or shorter than Tia and the stress index of the battery is greater than Sth (see fig 2-3 paragraph 0036-0043).
As to claim 9, the prior art teaches wherein the controller determines that the failure event has occurred when a measured voltage of the battery exceeds a reference voltage Vmax Or a measured temperature of the battery exceeds a reference temperature Tmax, and the stress index of the battery is a count value of the number of times the measured voltage of the battery exceeds the reference voltage Vmax or the measured temperature of the battery exceeds the reference temperature Tmax (see fig 2-3 paragraph 0042-0046).
As to claim 10 the prior art teaches wherein the controller determines that the failure event has occurred when a measured voltage of the battery exceeds a reference voltage Vmax Or a measured temperature of the battery exceeds a reference temperature Tmax, and the stress index of the battery is a degree to which the measured voltage of the battery exceeds the reference voltage Vmax or a degree to which the measured temperature of the battery exceeds the reference temperature Tmax (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0045-0051).
As to claim 11, the prior art teaches a method of managing a battery using a battery management system (BMS) monitoring the battery, turning on/off a main relay connected to an output of the battery, and receiving power through a power switch, comprising:
measuring battery state information (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0032-0037);
detecting an occurrence of a failure event of the battery based on the battery state information (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0038-0047);
controlling the main relay based on whether a maintenance time of the failure event being longer than a reference time Tia and whether the number of times of the occurrence of the failure event being greater than a reference set value Sth (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0038-0047);
and turning on/off the power switch (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0030-0040).
Remarks
Applicant’s response and remarks filed on 10/27/25 have been carefully reviewed. Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Key argument and their response related to the claims are listed as below:
Applicant contends that Lim et al. do not describe “a battery management system (BMS) monitoring a battery, turning on/off a main relay connected to an output of the battery, and receiving power through a power switch” probes as claimed, Examiner respectfully disagrees. The prior art (Lim et al. U.S Pub. No. 2008/0088279) do teach especially, Lim et al. teaches a battery management system (BMS) monitoring a battery, turning on/off a main relay connected to an output of the battery, and receiving power through a power switch (see fig 1, fig 2 paragraph 0021-0030; especially, Lim et al. teach a battery management system (BMS) monitoring a battery, turning on/off a main relay connected to an output of the battery, and receiving power through a power switch as fig 1, fig 2 paragraph 0022-0028)
Applicant contends that Lim et al. do not describe “a sensor unit (see fig 1, element 10) measuring a state of the battery to generate battery state information (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0029-0039; especially, Lim et al. teach a sensor unit” probes as claimed, Examiner respectfully disagrees. The prior art (Lim et al. U.S Pub. No. 2008/0088279) do teach a sensor unit (see fig 1, element 10) measuring a state of the battery to generate battery state information (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0029-0039; especially, Lim et al. teach a sensor unit (see fig 1, element 10) measuring a state of the battery to generate battery state information as fig 1-2 paragraph 0030-0037).
Applicant contends that Lim et al. do not describe “a controller configured to: receive the battery state information from the sensor unit, detect an occurrence of a failure event of the battery based on the battery state information, control the main relay based on whether a maintenance time of the failure event being longer than a reference time Tid and whether the number of times of the occurrence of the failure event being greater than a reference set value Sth, and provide a turn on/off command to the power switch” probes as claimed, Examiner respectfully disagrees. The prior art (Lim et al. U.S Pub. No. 2008/0088279) do teach a controller configured to: receive the battery state information from the sensor unit, detect an occurrence of a failure event of the battery based on the battery state information, control the main relay based on whether a maintenance time of the failure event being longer than a reference time Tid and whether the number of times of the occurrence of the failure event being greater than a reference set value Sth, and provide a turn on/off command to the power switch (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0038-0047; especially, Lim et al. teach and a controller configured to: receive the battery state information from the sensor unit, detect an occurrence of a failure event of the battery based on the battery state information, control the main relay based on whether a maintenance time of the failure event being longer than a reference time Tid and whether the number of times of the occurrence of the failure event being greater than a reference set value Sth, and provide a turn on/off command to the power switch as fig 1-3 paragraph 0039-0046).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 extension fee 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH C TAT whose telephone number is 571 272-1908. The examiner can normally be reached on flex 7:00Am-8PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jack Chiang can be reached on 571 272-7483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
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/BINH C TAT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2851