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 . As per the remarks of 11/02/2022, claims 1, 10 and 18 are amended; claims 7 and 19 are cancelled, and new claims 21-22 are added. Claims 1-6, 8-18 and 20-22 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statment
The Information Disclosure Statements dated 9/29/20, 4/19/21 and 3/21/23 are acknowledged and the cited references have been considered in this examination.
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 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 present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-6 and 8-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baby et al. (US 2016/0020621) (Hereinafter, Baby) in view of Eriksson et al. (US 2019/0131812).
With respect to claims 1 and 10, Baby discloses a device, comprising: a first power storage device (See reproduced figures below, Fig. 3, 1st power storage; Para. # 0037: at least two cells and a converter module to generate a single-cell voltage and a two-cell) a second power storage device connected in series with the first power storage device(Fig.3, 2nd storage-battery) ; a first power converter configured to generate (Para. # 0017), using electrical energy sourced from the first power storage device and the second power storage device (Fig. 1, 114; Para. # 0018), a first power signal to power a set of components (Fig. 1, 302A 1st signal drive); and a second power converter configured to generate (Fig. 1, 120; Par.#17
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,0018: battery 108, 1S to 2S converter module (1S/2SCM) 110, charging module 112 and a variety of modules 114-120 for generating different levels of voltage for supporting operational equipment 106 in device 100), using electrical energy sourced from the first power storage device and not the second power storage device, a second power signal to power sets of components (Fig. 1, 302B 2nd signal drive).
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Baby, does not expressly disclose the first battery storage device (first battery storage) has a different capacity from the second power storage (battery-2 or cell 2).
Eriksson, on the other hand, discloses the first battery storage device (first battery storage) has a different capacity from the second power storage (battery-2 or cell 2) (see Par. # 0037: the first high voltage battery 3 and the second high voltage battery 4, i.e. to let the SOC of the first high voltage battery 3 and the second high voltage battery 4 be different).
BABY and Eriksson are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor namely voltage converter for multi-cell system and High voltage electrical system.
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have added multiple power storages system with different capacity in order to use less power for less power demanding components, such as controller or processor, and for higher power need to drive more power demanding components, such as a display, a motor using a buck and boost converters (See Para. # 0017, 0030).
With respect to claims 2 and 11, the combined references of Baby and Eriksson disclose the device/method as describe above, wherein Eriksson discloses further comprising an active balance circuit connected with the first power storage device and the second power storage device and configured to transfer energy between the first power storage device and the second power storage device (Para. # 0017, 0025: the DC/DC converter 5 is configured to control charging of the first high voltage battery 3 and the second high voltage battery 4 to balance a state of charge of the first and second high voltage battery 3, 4). As well known in the art, active balance circuit in battery management system transfers energy from higher-charged cells to lower-charged ones, unlike passive methods that simply dissipate excess energy as heat. An active balance system actively moves charge between cells to equalize them; This energy redistribution is more efficient, extending the overall life and performance of battery packs using converters (such as DC-DC).
With respect to claims 3, 12 and 17, the combined references of Baby and Eriksson disclose the device/method as describe above, wherein Eriksson discloses wherein the active balance circuit comprises at least a third power converter configured to transfer the energy between the first power storage device and the second power storage device (Para. # 0017, 0025).
With respect to claims 4 and 13, the combined references of Baby and Eriksson disclose the device/method as describe above, wherein Eriksson discloses further including a fourth power converter configured to transfer the energy between the first and second power storage devices, wherein each of the third power converter and the fourth power converter comprises a direct current to direct current power converter (Para. # 0026 and 0027).
With respect to claims 5 and 14, the combined references of Baby and Eriksson disclose the device/method as describe above, wherein Eriksson discloses wherein the third power converter is configured to operate as a buck converter to transfer the energy from the second power storage device to the first power storage device (Para. # 0034 and 0035: operate in a buck mode to provide a voltage to the first high voltage battery).
With respect to claims 6 and 15, the combined references of Baby and Eriksson disclose the device/method as describe above, wherein Eriksson discloses further including a fourth power converter configured to transfer the energy between the first and second power storage devices, wherein the fourth power converter are configured to operate as a boost converter to transfer the energy from the first power storage device to the second power storage device (use of boost converter; Para. # 0038 and 0042).
With respect to claim 8, the combined references of Baby and Eriksson disclose the device/method as describe above, wherein Eriksson discloses wherein the first set of components consume more power, on average, than the second set of components (Para. # 0036, 0037: a high current from the high voltage battery unit 2. If some of the high voltage components 15, 16, 17 also requires a high current).
With respect to claim 9, the combined references of Baby and Eriksson disclose the device/method as describe above, wherein Eriksson discloses wherein the first set of components includes a display, and wherein the second set of components includes a processor (the set of components, such as the processor in Para. # 0029 requires low power, whereas high voltage components, as in Para. # 20 requires high voltage).
With respect to claim 16, the combined references of Baby and Eriksson disclose the device/method as describe above, wherein Eriksson discloses further comprising transferring, by a charger connected with the second power storage device and the active balance circuit, energy to the first power storage device and the second power storage device (Para. # 0017: DC/DC converter 5 is configured to control charging of the first high voltage battery 3 and the second high voltage battery 4 to balance a state of charge of the first and second high voltage battery 3, 4).
Claims 18, 20-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baby et al. (US 2016/0020621) (Hereinafter, Baby) in view of Eriksson et al. (US 2019/0131812).
With respect to claim 18 and 22, Baby discloses a power management circuit comprising: a first power converter connected in parallel to a first power storage device a device (see Fig. 1, battery 108 connected in parallel to converter 110 and 114-118; Para. # 0017), comprising: a first power storage device (See reproduced figures below, Fig. 3, 1st power storage; Para. # 0037: at least two cells and a converter module to generate a single-cell voltage and a two-cell) a second power storage device connected in series with the first power storage device(Fig.3, 2nd storage-battery) ; a first power converter configured to generate (Para. # 0017), using electrical energy sourced from the first power storage device and the second power storage device (Fig. 1, 114; Para. # 0018), a first power signal to power a set of components (Fig. 1, 302A 1st signal drive); and a second power converter configured to generate (Fig. 1, 120; Par.#17
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,0018: battery 108, 1S to 2S converter module (1S/2SCM) 110, charging module 112 and a variety of modules 114-120 for generating different levels of voltage for supporting operational equipment 106 in device 100), using electrical energy sourced from the first power storage device and not the second power storage device, a second power signal to power sets of components (Fig. 1, 302B 2nd signal drive).
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Baby, does not expressly disclose the first battery storage device (first battery storage) has a different capacity from the second power storage (battery-2 or cell 2).
Eriksson, on the other hand, discloses the first battery storage device (first battery storage) has a different capacity from the second power storage (battery-2 or cell 2) (see Par. # 0037: the first high voltage battery 3 and the second high voltage battery 4, i.e. to let the SOC of the first high voltage battery 3 and the second high voltage battery 4 be different).
BABY and Eriksson are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor namely voltage converter for multi-cell system and High voltage electrical system.
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have added multiple power storages system with different capacity in order to use less power for less power demanding components, such as controller or processor, and for higher power need to drive more power demanding components, such as a display, a motor using a buck and boost converters (See Para. # 0017, 0030).
With respect to claim 20, the combined references of Baby and Eriksson disclose the device/method as describe above, wherein Eriksson discloses wherein the first power converter is configured to operate as a buck converter to transfer the energy from the second power storage device to the first power storage device, and wherein the second power converter is configured to operate as a boost converter to transfer the energy from the first power storage device to the second power storage device (Para. #0017,00 35: the first high voltage battery 3 is supplementary charged through the bi-directional high voltage DC/DC-converter 5 operating in a buck mode and in paragraph 0038: high voltage DC/DC-converter 5 will be set in a boost mode and will charge the second high voltage battery 4).
With respect to claim 21, the combined references of Baby and Eriksson disclose the device/method as describe above, wherein Baby discloses wherein the device comprises a foldable mobile device or a foldable mobile tablet (Para. # 0016 and 0017: of device 100 may comprise, but are not limited to, a mobile communication device such as a cellular handset, smartphone, etc.).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YALKEW FANTU whose telephone number is (571)272-8928. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00AM-4:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DREW A DUNN can be reached at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YALKEW FANTU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859