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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 25 July 2023, 9 December 2025, and 30 December 2025 has/have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Agassi et al (US 20100141206 A1) modified by Zhao et al (CN 102376997 A).
Regarding claim 1, Agassi teaches a battery replacement station in which a used battery is removed from a vehicle and is replaced with a charged battery, (¶0061 “The exchange station removes at least partially discharged batteries from electric vehicles and replaces them with a least partially charged batteries”, ¶0065 “FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the battery exchange station 106”)
the used battery having been discharged, the battery replacement station comprising: a battery storage area in which the charged battery is stored; (¶0065 “FIG. 2, the battery exchange station 106 includes at least one swap lane 202 and a warehouse 204 for storing and charging batteries”)
and a temperature controlled storage area (¶0094 “FIGS. 11A and 11B are cut away side views illustrating that the warehouse 204… the batteries 104 are stored underground, they benefit from the thermal insulation and stable temperature regime of the earth's crust, thus cutting down on cooling or heating costs of the warehouse 204”, ¶0115 “HVAC system controls the temperature in the storage room by evacuating heat out of the battery charging area by means of a positive air flow”).
The HVAC system maintains an ambient temperature to maintain the heating medium which circulates around the stored batteries, the temperature control does not directly contact or control individual battery temperatures. Agassi does not teach a battery replacement station in which a used battery is removed from a vehicle and is replaced with a charged battery, the used battery having been discharged, the battery replacement station comprising: a temperature adjustment member storage area that stores a temperature adjustment member, the temperature adjustment member being detachably attachable to an outer surface of the charged battery and allowing at least one of heat generation and/or heat absorption without including a heating medium flow path through which a heating medium circulates.
Zhao teaches a battery replacement station in which a used battery is removed from a vehicle and is replaced with a charged battery, the used battery having been discharged, the battery replacement station comprising: a temperature adjustment member storage area that stores a temperature adjustment member (pg 3 “FIG. 1, the present invention provides a battery system with a temperature adjustment device, which includes a battery system insulation case 1, a battery pack 2 provided in the insulation case 1, and a temperature adjustment device provided in contact with the battery pack 2”),
the temperature adjustment member being detachably attachable to an outer surface of the charged battery and allowing at least one of heat generation and/or heat absorption without including a heating medium flow path through which a heating medium circulates (pg 1 “The temperature adjustment device includes a high-temperature endothermic cooling device 3 and a low-temperature heat release and insulation device 4”, pg 2 “The temperature adjustment device is installed and removed by riveting, plugging, or screw connection”).
Zhao teaches a battery system which insulates and manages the temperature of replaceable batteries 2. Agassi further describes the warehouse 204 in ¶0088 “[FIG. 9] The warehouse 204 includes a modular system of racks 902 each with rack modules 904 for charging different batteries 104”. Using the battery insulation case as taught by Zhao as the rack modules 904 in the warehouse 204 of Agassi would functionally form the claimed invention. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify battery replacement station as taught by Agassi comprising a temperature adjustment member storage area that stores a temperature adjustment member, the temperature adjustment member being detachably attachable to an outer surface of the charged battery and allowing at least one of heat generation and/or heat absorption without including a heating medium flow path through which a heating medium circulates as taught by Zhao for the purpose of optimizing battery performance and longevity by adjusting battery temperatures for charging and use to minimize precipitate formation.
Regarding claim 2, Agassi as modified by Zhao teaches the battery replacement station according to claim 1. Agassi as modified by Zhao further teaches a battery replacement station further comprising a battery replacement system, the battery replacement system including: a battery replacement operation section that removes the used battery from the vehicle and attaches the charged battery to the vehicle, the vehicle having stopped at a predetermined stop position; (Agassi ¶0065 “The swap lane 202 is the area in the exchange station in which the electric vehicle 102 travels, from entrance to exit, and in which the electric vehicle undergoes several operations such as battery cleaning and battery exchange”, Agassi ¶0068 “FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the exchange station 106 having an above ground swap lane 302”)
a battery transport section that transports the charged battery in the battery storage area to the battery replacement operation section; (Agassi ¶0071 “FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate some elements of the swap lane 202 and warehouse 204”, Agassi ¶0088 “FIG. 9 shows an embodiment for storing and charging flat batteries 906 and thick batteries 908. In some embodiments, forced air cooling ducts and fire proof separators are also employed in the racks 902 to protect the batteries 104”)
a temperature adjustment member transport section that transports the temperature adjustment member from the temperature adjustment member storage area; (Agassi ¶0089 “warehouse 204 also includes an automated robotic mechanism 910. The automated robotic mechanism 910 that in some embodiments includes a robot 912 that travels on rails 914.”, Zhao pg 1 “The temperature adjustment device includes a high-temperature endothermic cooling device 3 and a low-temperature heat release and insulation device 4”)
and a temperature adjustment member attachment operation section that attaches the temperature adjustment member to the outer surface of the charged battery before the charged battery is transported by the battery transport section or while the charged battery is being transported by the battery transport section, the temperature adjustment member having been transported by the temperature adjustment member transport section (Agassi ¶0089 “warehouse 204 also includes an automated robotic mechanism 910. The automated robotic mechanism 910 that in some embodiments includes a robot 912 that travels on rails 914.”).
Agassi as modified by Zhao as describe in ¶0089 “warehouse 204 also includes an automated robotic mechanism 910. The automated robotic mechanism 910 that in some embodiments includes a robot 912 that travels on rails 914”, physically moves each battery unit through the battery storage station. Using the temperature adjustment member (meter 807 as taught by Ishii) which is disposed directly on the battery unit, this would inherently transport the temperature adjustment member from the temperature adjustment member storage area.
Regarding claim 3, Agassi as modified by Zhao teaches the battery replacement station according to claim 2. Agassi as modified by Ishii further teaches a battery replacement station wherein: the temperature adjustment member storage area is an area in which temperature management is performed, and the temperature adjustment member transport section starts transporting the temperature adjustment member outside from the temperature adjustment member storage area in accordance with an estimated time when the vehicle arrives at the battery replacement station, the vehicle requesting replacement of the used battery (Agassi ¶0109 “the battery exchange station is built to accommodate the minimum amount of batteries to allow maximal efficiency of the station during rush hours when traffic volume into the station is high”).
Agassi ¶0067 “The driver interface 206 sends a set of instructions to the user 110 to instruct the user to safely engage his vehicle 102 with the station's automated devices. The driver interface 206 may also provide additional information to the driver(s) and passenger(s) regarding different services which are available at the battery exchange station”
Claim(s) 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Agassi modified by Zhao and further in view of Yue et al (US 20150325892 A1)
Regarding claim 4, Agassi as modified by Zhao teaches the battery replacement station according to claim 1. Agassi as modified by Wang further teaches a battery replacement station the battery temperature management method comprising: transporting the charged battery outside from the battery storage area; (Agassi ¶0071 “FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate some elements of the swap lane 202 and warehouse 204”, Agassi ¶0088 “FIG. 9 shows an embodiment for storing and charging flat batteries 906 and thick batteries 908. In some embodiments, forced air cooling ducts and fire proof separators are also employed in the racks 902 to protect the batteries 104”)
Agassi as modified by Zhao does not teach a battery replacement station the battery temperature management method comprising: transporting the temperature adjustment member outside from the temperature adjustment member storage area and attaching the temperature adjustment member to the outer surface of the charged battery, wherein in the transporting of the temperature adjustment member and the attaching of the temperature adjustment member, the temperature adjustment member is attached to the outer surface of the charged battery before or immediately after the charged battery is transported outside from the battery storage area.
Yue teaches a method of battery temperature management for a battery module comprising : transporting the temperature adjustment member outside from the temperature adjustment member storage area and attaching the temperature adjustment member to the outer surface of the charged battery (¶0032 “ FIG. 1 is a schematic side-sectional view of a heating sheet for battery modules according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which the heating sheet includes an insulating layer 30, a surface heating element 20, and an insulating adhesive layer 10”, the heating sheet is described to be a layer of the battery module where each battery cell is inserted),
wherein in the transporting of the temperature adjustment member and the attaching of the temperature adjustment member (¶0045 “FIG. 2 is a schematic side-sectional view of a heating sheet for battery modules, which includes a surface heating element, according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which the surface heating element 20”, the heating element is inherently attached to the battery cell upon the cell being inserted into the battery module),
the temperature adjustment member is attached to the outer surface of the charged battery before or immediately after the charged battery is transported outside from the battery storage area (¶0045 “FIG. 2 is a schematic side-sectional view of a heating sheet for battery modules, which includes a surface heating element, according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which the surface heating element 20”, the heating element is inherently detached from the battery cell upon the cell being removed from the battery module).
The heating sheet for as taught by Yue is designed to sit in the battery module or compartment, as supported by ¶0043 “the area of the heating portion of the surface heating element included in the heating sheet for battery modules is maintained at about 40% to about 90% of the entire area of the battery cell to which the surface heating element is attached”. Placing the heating sheet as taught by Yue into the battery compartments in warehouse 204 as taught by Agassi modified by Zhao would function as a detachably attachable temperature adjustment member. Agassi’s warehouse 204 is described in further detail in ¶0088 “[FIG. 9] warehouse 204 includes a modular system of racks 902 each with rack modules 904 for charging different batteries 104”.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to further modify the battery replacement station the battery temperature management method as taught by Agassi as modified by Zhao to further comprise the temperature adjustment member is attached to the outer surface of the charged battery before or immediately after the charged battery is transported outside from the battery storage area as taught by Yue for the purpose of preconditioning the battery prior to use thereby optimizing battery performance and longevity by adjusting battery temperatures for charging and use to minimize precipitate formation.
Regarding claim 5, Agassi as modified by Zhao and Yue teaches the battery temperature management method according to claim 4. Agassi as modified by Zhao and Yue further teach a battery replacement station the battery temperature management method wherein: the temperature adjustment member storage area is an area in which temperature management is performed (Yue’s heating element which encapsulates each battery inserted into Agassi’s wrack modules 904 for each individual EV battery being replaced, Yue ¶0045 “FIG. 2 is a schematic side-sectional view of a heating sheet for battery modules, which includes a surface heating element, according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which the surface heating element 20” and Agassi ¶0088 “[FIG. 9] warehouse 204 includes a modular system of racks 902 each with rack modules 904 for charging different batteries 104”),
and in the transporting of the temperature adjustment member and the attaching of the temperature adjustment member, Yue ¶0045 “FIG. 2 is a schematic side-sectional view of a heating sheet for battery modules, which includes a surface heating element, according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which the surface heating element 20” and Agassi ¶0088 “[FIG. 9] warehouse 204 includes a modular system of racks 902 each with rack modules 904 for charging different batteries 104”)
the transporting of the temperature adjustment member outside from the temperature adjustment member storage area is started in accordance with an estimated time when the vehicle arrives at the battery replacement station, the vehicle requesting replacement of the used battery. (Agassi ¶0109 “the battery exchange station is built to accommodate the minimum amount of batteries to allow maximal efficiency of the station during rush hours when traffic volume into the station is high”)
Agassi uses a battery swap lane 202 which is described in ¶0066 “an electric vehicle 102 enters the battery exchange station 106 in some embodiments it encounters an entry gate (not shown) located at the entrance to the swap lane 202… The entry gate is also the location where a vehicle waits to enter the swap lane 202 when heavy traffic volume is encountered”. The charged batteries are stored in Agassi’s rack modules 904, which as detailed above to reject claim 4, are lined with Yue’s surface heating element 20. This maintains the battery temperature in a preconditioned state prior to a vehicle requesting replacement of the used battery.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the attached PTO-892 Notice of References Cited by Examiner attached to this correspondence.
Zaitsu et al (US 20220320881 A1) teaches an electric vehicle battery exchange device which stores the depleted batteries, charges them, and then provides charged batteries to users.
Suzuki et al (US 20030209375 A1) teaches an electric vehicle powered by a cassette-type battery which, when depleted, can be exchanged at a battery vending machine for a fully charged battery.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA M KOTOWSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-3771. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8a-5p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taelor Kim can be reached at (571) 270-7166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LISA KOTOWSKI/Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/TAELOR KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859