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 .
OFFICE ACTION
Claim Objection
In claims 1 and 2, a colon (:) should be inserted to separate the preamble from the body of the claim.
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.
Claims 1-18 are 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.
In claim 1, the limitation ”in a case where the adjustment term is shorter than or equal to the arrival term” as presented in the last line, is unclear for the following reason:
The adjustment is the term required to adjust the temperature of the first secondary battery to a set temperature (can be understood as temperature (and expressed/measured in units of temperature)); while
The arrival term is the term required to get to a set charging station (can be understood as driving distance or driving range of vehicle in terms of state of charge (SOC) or capacity level level of battery or driving time (and expressed/measured in units of driving time or driving distance or driving range mentioned above.)).
Therefore, comparing ”in a case where the adjustment term is shorter than or equal to the arrival term” as presented is unclear and indefinite regarding how the comparison can be obtained or implemented by comparing the adjustment term to the arrival term to determine “in a case where the adjustment term is shorter than or equal to the arrival term”
Dependent claims 3-10 are rejected because they depend directly or indirectly from claim 1.
Claim 2 is rejected for the same reason as claim 1.
Claims 11-18 are rejected because they depend directly or indirectly from claim 2.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
(a)(2) The claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
INSOFAR THE LIMITATIONS ARE UNDERSTOOD AND GIVEN BROADEST REASONABLE INTERPRETATION.
Claims 1-2, 7-8, 10, 15-16 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) being anticipated by the prior art of record Kim (US 2017/0008419)
Regarding claim 1, the prior art discloses:
A control system (105 in fig 1-2) for a secondary battery in a vehicle (EV in par 1) comprising:
a first secondary battery, a second secondary battery (Battery modules 103 in fig 1-2) a first temperature control unit (Temp sensor 125 in fig 1-2), a secondary battery monitoring unit (battery monitor 123 in fig 1-2), and an arithmetic unit (i.e., one more of CPU, processor, microprocessor in par 22),
wherein the secondary battery monitoring unit acquires remaining amount data of the first secondary battery (par 5-7, 10, 35: monitoring a current battery pack charge level),
wherein the arithmetic unit compares the remaining amount data and a set value (par 5-7, 10, 35: current battery pack charge level falls to the preset level, charge level is compared to a second preset level),
wherein the secondary battery monitoring unit acquires a temperature of the first secondary battery in a case where the remaining amount data is smaller than the set value (i.e., see one or more of:
abstract: when the battery pack is at a low charge level, selectively heat the battery or battery module;
par 5: when current battery pack charge level falls to the preset level...
battery pack thermal control system is configured to simultaneously heat or cool the plurality of battery modules;
par 10: cooling command from the battery management system…
selectively heat the single battery module with the battery module heating system when the battery pack charge level monitored by the charge level detection system falls to a preset value;
par 35: As long as the charge level remains above the preset level used in step 307, the system simply continues to monitor the battery pack charge level (step 309). If the charge level continues to fall…weak battery/battery module is determined, BMS controller 105 selectively heats the identified battery/battery module))
wherein the arithmetic unit calculates an adjustment term required to adjust the temperature of the first secondary battery to a set temperature
value (i.e., see one or more of:
abstract: when the battery pack is at a low charge level, selectively heat the battery or battery module;
par 5: when current battery pack charge level falls to the preset level...
battery pack thermal control system is configured to simultaneously heat or cool the plurality of battery modules;
par 10: cooling command from the battery management system…
selectively heat the single battery module with the battery module heating system when the battery pack charge level monitored by the charge level detection system falls to a preset value;
par 35: As long as the charge level remains above the preset level used in step 307, the system simply continues to monitor the battery pack charge level (step 309). If the charge level continues to fall…weak battery/battery module is determined, BMS controller 105 selectively heats the identified battery/battery module),
wherein the arithmetic unit calculates an arrival term required to get to a set charging station (driving range/time to reach a charging station (abstract, par 31-33, 37)), and
wherein the first temperature control unit starts adjusting the temperature of the first secondary battery to the set temperature (fig 1-2), with electric power fed from the second secondary battery, in a case where the adjustment term is shorter than or equal to the arrival term (fig 3-6 and related text).
(Claim 7) wherein the first temperature control unit comprises a radiator and a heater, wherein the radiator is configured to lower the temperature of the first secondary battery, and wherein the heater is configured to raise the temperature of the secondary battery (fig 1-6).
(Claim 8) wherein the secondary battery monitoring unit is configured to equalize voltages between the first secondary battery and the second secondary battery (par 29, 32)
(Claim 10) wherein the arithmetic unit compares an oxide semiconductor (oxide semiconductor is an intended use in circuits/semiconductor/transistors)
Claims 2, 15-16 and 18 recite similar subject matter and are rejected for the same reason.
Claims 1-2, 7-10 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (2)
being anticipated by the prior art of record Szubbocsev (US 2019/0294173).
Regarding claim 1, the prior art discloses:
A control system (one or more of controller, control system/network in fig 2-6) for a secondary battery in a vehicle (title) comprising:
a first secondary battery, a second secondary battery (402, 404 in fig 4), a first temperature control unit (408 in fig 4), a secondary battery monitoring unit (Battery Managements System , Battery Monitoring system, in fig 2-3), and an arithmetic unit (CPU, micro-controller, processor, computer in fig 2-4),
wherein the secondary battery monitoring unit acquires remaining amount data (see one or more of: current state of charge (abstract), stored energy available to operate the ADV (par 28), current SOC, level of SOC, threshold of SOC (par 30-33, 38), available capacity of the battery, battery capacity (par 53, 55), remaining life of battery, remaining battery capacity level / power (par 61-63, 67)) of the first secondary battery,
wherein the arithmetic unit compares the remaining amount data and a set value, (i.e., compare by:
determine if the ADV can safely reach the destination using the stored energy available to operate (par 28),
determine if the ADV can navigate a generated route to reach the predetermined destination using the battery stack at its current level of SOC (par 30);
computer determines that the ADV cannot reach the predetermined destination utilizing the battery stack at its current SOC (par 38);
determining whether the current level of charge of the battery stack is enough to reach a predetermined destination (par 67))
wherein the secondary battery monitoring unit acquires a temperature of the first secondary battery (fig 4) in a case where the remaining amount data is smaller than the set value,
(determine if the ADV can safely reach the destination using the stored energy available to operate (par 28),
determine if the ADV can navigate a generated route to reach the predetermined destination using the battery stack at its current level of SOC (par 30);
computer determines that the ADV cannot reach the predetermined destination utilizing the battery stack at its current SOC (par 38);
determining whether the current level of charge of the battery stack is enough to reach a predetermined destination (par 67))
wherein the arithmetic unit calculates an adjustment term required to adjust the temperature of the first secondary battery to a set temperature (fig 4),
wherein the arithmetic unit calculates an arrival term required to get to a set charging station (see fig 1, 7 and/or abstract: generate routes to reach destination, par 9:
configure time that it will take to navigate the vehicle along the current route from the starting location to reach the destination;
determines an estimated total amount of charge that will be required to navigate the ADV from a starting location to the predetermined destination/power source/ charging station (par 32);
ADV arrives at a predetermined destination at a particular estimated time (par 32)
destination must be received or entered into the on-board computer such that the new destination/charge station can be reached (par 119);
an arrival time of an ADV defined as the time it will the ADV to reach the predetermined destination from the current geographical position of the ADV (par 127)), and
wherein the first temperature control unit starts adjusting the temperature of the first secondary battery to the set temperature, with electric power fed from the second secondary battery (fig 4), in a case where the adjustment term is shorter than or equal to the arrival term (fig 3-5, 7-8).
(Claim 7) wherein the first temperature control unit comprises a radiator and a heater, wherein the radiator is configured to lower the temperature of the first secondary battery, and wherein the heater is configured to raise the temperature of the secondary battery (par 30, 33, 57, 105, 109).
(Claim 8) wherein the secondary battery monitoring unit is configured to equalize voltages between the first secondary battery and the second secondary battery (fig 4)
(Claim 9) wherein the set value is estimated arithmetic processing on the basis of an artificial neural network(abstract, par 6, 38, 80, 88-92, 99-100, 117, 125) in the arithmetic unit.
(Claim 10) wherein the arithmetic unit compares an oxide semiconductor (oxide semiconductor is an intended use in circuits/semiconductor/transistors)
Claims 2, 15-18 recite similar subject matter and are rejected for the same reason.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 and 11-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim , but would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the 112 rejection(s), set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 3-6 and 11-14 would be allowable because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest the limitation in claim 3 and similarly recited claim 11.
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL DINH whose telephone number is 571-272-1890. 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 number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2851