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 .
Status of the Claims
In the communication dated December 6, 2022, claims 1-20 are pending.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because each box of FIG. 3 should include a numeric label that corresponds to the specification.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-10 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, in line 1, after “compatible” include --with --.
Claims 2-10 are objected to due to at least its dependency from an objected to claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-20 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.
Claim 1 recites “calculating a voltage difference between each voltage level of the supercapacitor discharge curve and each voltage level of the electrochemical discharge curve for the plurality of discharge percentages”. However, it is unclear what difference is being taken. The language may be interpreted in two different ways:
1. the voltage difference is taken between different levels of the supercapacitor discharging curve and a voltage difference between different levels of the electrochemical discharge curve; or
2. the voltage difference is taken between corresponding levels of the supercapacitor and the electrochemical discharge curves.
Appropriate clarification and amendment is required.
Similar language appears in claim 11 and is therefore rejected for the same reasons.
Claims 2-10 and 12-20 are rejected at least due to their dependency from a rejected claim.
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.
Claims 1-7, 9-17 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hyde et al. US20180134171A1 in view of Lee US20170148232A1.
Regarding claim 1. Hyde discloses a method for making supercapacitor batteries (ultra-capacitor battery module) compatible an electric vehicle (electric vehicle V) having electrochemical battery discharge requirements (battery chemistry class/classification of use and type) (abstract, FIG. 1, 6, 9, 10; ¶95, 127, 164, 165: ), the method comprising:
receiving an indication (categorization of battery module types) of an electrochemical battery type (battery cell chemistry type/category e.g. lead-acid, lithium ion) and a supercapacitor battery type (ultra-capacitor type/category (FIG. 15, 22; ¶95, 126-129, 148, 166);
retrieving electrochemical discharge load data (data set with data module: use charge/discharge history/load demand) including an electrochemical discharge curve (rate of charge/discharge) corresponding to the electrochemical battery type, the electrochemical discharge curve (¶104 – actual performance data for a particular type of battery) comprising a voltage level (SOC/voltage level) for each of a plurality of discharge percentages (depth of charged/discharged voltage level) for the electrochemical battery type (battery cell chemistry type/category, e.g.: lead-acid lithium-ion)(FIG. 15, 22; ¶127, 163, 172);
retrieving supercapacitor discharge load data (data set with data model: use charge/discharge history/load demand) including an supercapacitor discharge curve (rate of charge/discharge) corresponding to the supercapacitor battery type , the supercapacitor discharge curve (¶104 – actual performance data for a particular type of battery) comprising a voltage level (SOC/voltage level) for each of the plurality of discharge percentages (charged/discharged voltage level) for the supercapacitor battery type (ultra-capacitor type/category) (FIG. 15, 22; ¶127, 163, 172);
adjusting, during discharge of a supercapacitor battery (ultra-capacitor battery module) of the supercapacitor battery type (ultra-capacitor type/category), a voltage of the supercapacitor battery (output voltage) at a particular discharge percentage (rate of charge/discharge) to match an equivalent voltage (equal output voltage) for an electrochemical battery of the electrochemical battery type (battery module e.g. lead-acid, lithium-ion) at the particular discharge percentage (depth of charged/discharged voltage level (FIG. 15, 22; ¶163-165, 180); and
displaying information (via user interface UI) about the supercapacitor battery (ultra-capacitor battery module) (FIG. 1, 5; ¶88, 141-144) based on the adjusted voltage (¶138 – battery module is monitored and data adjusted as needed, for instance the program or routine or the adjusted demand).
Hyde does not explicitly teach calculating a voltage difference between each voltage level of the supercapacitor discharge curve and each voltage level of the electrochemical discharge curve for the plurality of discharge percentages; storing each voltage difference for the plurality of discharge percentages; adjusting the voltage using the stored voltage difference.
Lee discloses calculating a voltage difference between each voltage level of the discharge curve (FIG. 5 at 510) for the plurality of discharge percentages (¶78 – voltage data);
storing each voltage difference for the plurality of discharge percentages (¶48 – store a difference value between a present value and a reference value; ¶72 – store difference value; FIG. 6 at 620);
adjusting the voltage using the stored voltage difference (¶79 – update initial value when difference exceeds a threshold);
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a voltage difference between voltage levels, as taught by Lee, of each of the sources of Hyde (supercapacitor and electrochemical) in order to monitor the conditions of the batteries for the safety of users (Lee; ¶6).
Regarding claim 11. Hyde discloses a system for making supercapacitor batteries compatible with an electric vehicle having electrochemical battery discharge requirements, the system comprising:
a supercapacitor battery (ultra-capacitor battery module) for the electric vehicle (V) (¶95);
a memory unit (¶90 – management system includes a memory) comprising:
an indication (categorization of battery module types) of an electrochemical battery type (battery cell chemistry type/category e.g. lead-acid, lithium ion) and a supercapacitor battery type (ultra-capacitor type/category (FIG. 15, 22; ¶95, 126-129, 148, 166);
a charge compatible module to retrieve:
electrochemical discharge load data (data set with data module: use charge/discharge history/load demand) including an electrochemical discharge curve (rate of charge/discharge) corresponding to the electrochemical battery type(¶104 – actual performance data for a particular type of battery), the electrochemical discharge curve (¶104 – actual performance data for a particular type of battery) comprising a voltage level (SOC/voltage level) for each of a plurality of discharge percentages (depth of charged/discharged voltage level) for the electrochemical battery type (battery cell chemistry type/category, e.g.: lead-acid lithium-ion)(FIG. 15, 22; ¶127, 163, 172); and
supercapacitor discharge load data (data set with data model: use charge/discharge history/load demand) including an supercapacitor discharge curve (rate of charge/discharge) corresponding to the supercapacitor battery type , the supercapacitor discharge curve (¶104 – actual performance data for a particular type of battery) comprising a voltage level (SOC/voltage level) for each of the plurality of discharge percentages (charged/discharged voltage level) for the supercapacitor battery type (ultra-capacitor type/category) (FIG. 15, 22; ¶127, 163, 172);
a hardware controller module to adjust, during discharge of a supercapacitor battery (ultra-capacitor battery module) the supercapacitor battery type (ultra-capacitor battery module), a voltage of the supercapacitor battery (output voltage) at a particular discharge percentage (rate of charge/discharge) to match an equivalent voltage (equal output voltage) for an electrochemical battery of the electrochemical battery type (battery module e.g. lead-acid, lithium-ion) at the particular discharge percentage (depth of charged/discharged voltage level (FIG. 15, 22; ¶163-165, 180); and
a display interface to display information (via user interface UI) the supercapacitor battery ultra-capacitor battery module) (FIG. 1, 5; ¶88, 141-144) based on the adjusted voltage (¶138 – battery module is monitored and data adjusted as needed, for instance the program or routine or the adjusted demand).
Hyde does not explicitly teach a mapping module to calculate a voltage difference between each voltage level of the supercapacitor discharge curve and each voltage level of the electrochemical discharge curve for the plurality of discharge percentages and storing each voltage difference for the plurality of discharge percentages; adjusting the voltage using the stored voltage difference.
Lee discloses a mapping module to calculate a voltage difference between each voltage level of the discharge curve (FIG. 5 at 510) for the plurality of discharge percentages (¶78 – voltage data) and storing each voltage difference for the plurality of discharge percentages (¶48 – store a difference value between a present value and a reference value; ¶72 – store difference value; FIG. 6 at 620);
adjusting the voltage using the stored voltage difference (¶79 – update initial value when difference exceeds a threshold);
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a voltage difference between voltage levels, as taught by Lee, of each of the sources of Hyde (supercapacitor and electrochemical) in order to monitor the conditions of the batteries for the safety of users (Lee; ¶6).
Regarding claim 2 and claim 12. Hyde discloses that the indication of an electrochemical battery type and a supercapacitor battery type are received from a user (¶97 – data and information for the vehicle can be obtained from user input).
Regarding claim 3 and claim 13. Hyde discloses that the electrochemical discharge load data and the supercapacitor discharge load data are retrieved from a database (¶97 – data and information are obtained from internal data sources or external sources; ¶100 – management system provided with associated database).
Regarding claim 4 and claim 14. Hyde discloses that the supercapacitor battery is integrated with the electric vehicle (FIG. 9E – the ultra-capacitor is integrated with the energy storage system; FIG. 1A – energy storage system included with vehicle V).
Regarding claim 5 and claim 15. Hyde discloses that the information comprises a percentage of capacity remaining for supercapacitor battery (¶127 – information provided includes the state of charge).
Regarding claim 6 and claim 16. Hyde discloses the information comprises a range of the electrical vehicle (¶102 – duty/route of vehicle and duty/environmental conditions; ¶135 – anticipated use/duty).
Regarding claim 7 and claim 17. Hyde discloses that the range is for one of an actual or planned route based on GPS data for the electric vehicle (¶102 – route information for the duty and available resources).
Regarding claim 9 and claim 19. Hyde discloses that the information comprises a remaining useful life for the supercapacitor battery (¶176 – life-cycle of a battery is correlated to data such as whether it is a new, mid or end-of-life battery module).
Regarding claim 10 and claim 20. Hyde does not explicitly teach storing comprises storing each voltage difference for the plurality of discharge percentages in a database.
Lee discloses storing comprises storing each voltage difference for the plurality of discharge percentages in a database (¶72 – storage 420 stores the difference value).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a voltage difference between voltage levels, as taught by Lee, of each of the sources of Hyde (supercapacitor and electrochemical) in order to monitor the conditions of the batteries for the safety of users (Lee; ¶6).
Claims 8 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hyde et al. US20180134171A1 in view of Lee US20170148232A1 and further in view of Shi et al. US20200153284A1.
Regarding claim 8 and claim 18. Hyde does not explicitly teach that the information comprises a time to next charge for the supercapacitor battery.
Shi discloses that the information comprises a time to next charge for the supercapacitor battery (¶30 – time until the next charging).
It would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide information to the next charge time, as taught by Shi, to the information provided by Hyde in order to maximize the life of the supercapacitor by only charging the supercapacitor the amount necessary (Shi; ¶30).
Related Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wu US20070080662A1 discloses universal battery modules that is scaleable and easily expandable (¶11).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAMELA JEPPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-4094. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew 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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/PAMELA J JEPPSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/DREW A DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859