DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Claims
In the communication filed on June 2, 2026, claims 1, 3-11 and 13-14 are pending. Claims 1, 3-8, 10-11 and 13-14 are currently amended and claims 2 and 12 are presently cancelled.
Response to Arguments
The claims have been amended to clarify that when determining the current Im, it is the charge cut-off voltage from the previous charging process is used to obtain the first current.
Applicant’s arguments, see the applicant amendments and arguments/remarks, filed June 2, 2026, with respect to the independent claims, particularly, the cut-off current being determined using previous specific charging parameters, have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 1 and 11 have been withdrawn.
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 11 and 13-14 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 11 recites the limitation "battery" in line 3 and “a battery” in line 5 It is uncertain whether this is the same battery as in line 2 or whether this is a different battery. If it is the same battery as in line 2, the language in lines 3 and should be amended to recite “the battery”.
Claims 13-14 are rejected at least for their dependency from a rejected claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11 and 13-14 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 11, although the prior art teaches a charging method for a battery system having a plurality of charging processes (n and mth) where each has a charge cut-off over a specific period of time, the prior art is silent as to “in response to determining that OCVn> OCVm, continuing to charge the battery that has been standing in a second charging manner until the charge cut-off current of the battery is a first current Im, wherein
Im= (Un- k x OCVn-(1-k) x OCVm)/(Un- OCVm) x In,
wherein the first current 1, is determined based on the charge cut-off voltage Un in the n-th charging process, the open-circuit voltage OCVn obtained after the n-th charging process, the open-circuit voltage OCV obtained after the m-th charging process, the charge cut-off current In in the n-th charging process, and where k is a preset parameter and selected in a range 0 < k< 1”.
Claims 13-14 are indicated as allowable subject matter by virtue of their dependency from an allowable claim.
Claims 1 and 3-10 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, although the prior art teaches a charging method for a battery system having a plurality of charging processes (n and mth) where each has a charge cut-off over a specific period of time, the prior art is silent as to “in response to determining that OCVn> OCVm, continuing to charge the battery that has been standing in a second charging manner until the charge cut-off current of the battery is a first current Im, wherein
Im= (Un- k x OCVn-(1-k) x OCVm)/(Un- OCVm) x In,
wherein the first current 1, is determined based on the charge cut-off voltage Un in the n-th charging process, the open-circuit voltage OCVn obtained after the n-th charging process, the open-circuit voltage OCV obtained after the m-th charging process, the charge cut-off current In in the n-th charging process, and where k is a preset parameter and selected in a range 0 < k< 1”.
Claims 3-10 are allowed at least by virtue of their dependency from an allowed claim.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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
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