Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/090,034

BATTERY PACK STRUCTURE

Non-Final OA §102§OTHER
Filed
Dec 28, 2022
Priority
Mar 16, 2022 — RE 10-2022-0032456
Examiner
ALEJANDRO, RAYMOND
Art Unit
1752
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Kia Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allowance Rate
920 granted / 1160 resolved
+14.3% vs TC avg
Strong +22% interview lift
Without
With
+22.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 4m
Avg Prosecution
38 currently pending
Career history
1218
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.6%
-39.4% vs TC avg
§103
68.2%
+28.2% vs TC avg
§102
12.5%
-27.5% vs TC avg
§112
8.1%
-31.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1160 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §OTHER
DETAILED ACTION The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Election/Restrictions Applicant’s election of Species A-1, B-1 and C-1 (i.e., claims 1, 3 and 9) in the reply filed on 08/27/25 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)). Priority Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in the Republic of Korea on 03/16/22. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the 10-2022-0032456 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55. In this respect, it is noted that an attempt by the Office to electronically retrieve such document, under the priority document exchange program, failed on 08/16/23. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/28/22 was considered by the examiner. Drawings The drawings were received on 12/28/22. Specification The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. It does not appear to capture the essence of the disclosed/claimed invention. 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, 3 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by the publication KR 10-2312926 (heretofore KR’926). As to claims 1, 3 and 9: KR’926 discloses that it is known in the art to make a battery pack structure for a vehicle comprising a battery assembly/group including a plurality of battery units; a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the battery units; a heater disposed in the battery assembly/group external to an plate/enclosure housing the battery units; and a controller operatively connected to both the temperature sensor and the heater controlling the heater in response to temperature signals/measurements from the temperature sensor when a detected/measured temperature is lower than a predetermined/critical temperature (Abstract; see Figures 1 & 2). PNG media_image1.png 314 362 media_image1.png Greyscale PNG media_image2.png 196 582 media_image2.png Greyscale Thus, the present claims are anticipated. (at least) Claims 1, 3 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Rosenberger et al 2022/0393262. As to claim 1: Rosenberger et al disclose that it is known in the art to make a battery pack module 100 for a vehicle comprising a battery assembly/group including a plurality of battery units; a temperature sensor/thermocouple 156 to measure the temperature of the battery units; a heater or heating elements 408, 412 and heating pad 108 disposed in the battery assembly/group external to an plate/enclosure housing the battery units; and a controller 124 operatively connected to both the temperature sensor and the heater controlling the heater in response to temperature signals/measurements from the temperature sensor when a detected/measured temperature is lower than a predetermined/critical temperature (Abstract; 0079; 0077-0080; Figures 1 & 4). PNG media_image3.png 538 756 media_image3.png Greyscale PNG media_image4.png 502 782 media_image4.png Greyscale Thus, the present claims are anticipated. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAYMOND ALEJANDRO whose telephone number is (571)272-1282. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday (8:00 am-6:30 pm). Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas A. Smith can be reached at (571) 272-8760. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /RAYMOND ALEJANDRO/ Primary Examiner Art Unit 1752
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 28, 2022
Application Filed
Dec 01, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §OTHER (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12640388
Method And Apparatus For Manufacturing Unit Cell
3y 1m to grant Granted May 26, 2026
Patent 12640419
PRE-FORMED BATTERY CELL THERMAL BARRIER
3y 5m to grant Granted May 26, 2026
Patent 12640411
POWER SUPPLY CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS
2y 7m to grant Granted May 26, 2026
Patent 12633576
BATTERY CELL, BATTERY MODULE, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING BATTERY CELL
2y 10m to grant Granted May 19, 2026
Patent 12627001
SEPARATOR FOR LITHIUM SECONDARY BATTERY, THE METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME AND LITHIUM SECONDARY BATTERY INCLUDING THE SAME
3y 4m to grant Granted May 12, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+22.3%)
3y 4m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1160 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month