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 .
Objection to the Abstract
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstract is more than 150 words. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 (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 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 and 4-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shih et al. US 20190207398.
With regards to claims 1 and 12 Shih discloses, a battery charging management system for a battery fleet having a plurality of rechargeable, communication-enabled, battery units [figs 1-3 batteries 101a-c], comprising:
a charging management base [fig 1 server 103 fig 2 server 203 fig 3 server 33] configured for transmitting charging setting information for the battery units [fig 6 step 601];
a plurality of user terminals configured for transmitting battery-charging-related user predefinition information [fig 1 mobile device 111 fig 3 mobile device 32];
a respective charging control unit in each of the battery units [fig 3 charging control 315]; and
a communication connection for data transfer between the charging management base at one end and the battery units at the other end, and between the user terminals at one end and the charging management base and/or the battery units at the other end [fig 1 network 109 which shows connection between the base 103 , the battery units 107, and the mobile devices 111],
wherein the charging setting information and/or the user predefinition information comprise(s) charging mode information with regard to a plurality of different charging modes for the battery units [fig 5a disclosing different charging profiles or “modes” and ¶63 “In some embodiments, the associated method can further include: (S8) determining charging rates (e.g., charging rate “C” discussed above) based on the characteristics of the batteries (e.g., a current temperature, SoC, etc.). This step can be considered as a “fine-tuning” of the charging rules. For example, the method can include using SoC to determine the charging rates for each of the batteries. For example, batteries B1 and B2 (with SoC higher than 90%) can be charged with 0.2 C, the “slowest” charging process in reference with the charging rule CR2 that is chosen for batteries B1 and B2 in step (S7). Batteries B3 and B4 (SoC in the range of 89-60%) at the rate of “0.4 C.” Batteries B5 and B6 (with SoC in the range of 50-0%) at the rate of “0.7 C” with reference to the charging rule CR1”],
wherein the charging setting information from the charging management base and/or the user predefinition information from the user terminals are/is able to be fed to the charging control unit in the respective battery unit via the communication connection [Abstract “(1) receiving demand information; (2) determining a charging plan for the device-exchange station at least partially based on a state-of-charge (SoC) of each of the exchangeable energy storage devices positioned in the device-exchange station, the demand information, and a charging threshold for each of the exchangeable energy storage devices positioned in the device-exchange station; (3) generating a charging command for each of the exchangeable energy storage devices based on the charging rule for each of the exchangeable energy storage devices; and (4) transmitting the charging commands to the device-exchange station”], and
wherein the charging control unit is configured, for a purpose of performing a charging process of its battery unit coupled to a charger, to define associated charging parameter desired value information depending on the fed charging setting information and/or user predefinition information, and to communicate the defined associated charging parameter desired value information to the charger [¶69 “In some embodiments, the battery exchange station 107 can be configured to collect battery information from the sampling batteries 101 and perform the analysis discussed above. In such embodiments, the battery exchange station 107 can analyze the collected battery information to determine or identify battery characteristics or patterns that can be used as reference information for generating customized battery charging rules. Such reference information can be stored locally (e.g., in the battery exchange station 107) or can be transmitted or uploaded to the server 103” and ¶43 “For example, the system may accelerate a charging process (e.g., by using a faster charging process with a higher charging rate or charging voltage) at least because it expects a large battery demand in two hours based on user's reservations for batteries. As another example, the system can delay a charging process (e.g., by using a slower charging process with a lower charging rate or charging voltage) because there is no immediately need to complete the charging process (e.g., it's in the middle of the night and the system does not expect any immediate battery demand) or because doing so may lower charging expenses (e.g., a power source offers a lower rate during off-peak hours)”].
Claim 12 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 1 above, a detailed discussion is avoided for brevity.
With regards to claim 4 Shih discloses, the battery charging management system according to claim 1, wherein identifier information is allocatable to each battery unit [¶21 “other suitable battery information (e.g., a unique battery identity serial number created by a battery exchange plan provider for tracking or administrative purposes)”], and
the user terminals and/or the charging management base are/is configured for grouping the battery units into one or more identical charging groups using the identifier information [¶58 “grouping the batteries based on the priorities. For example, the batteries can be divided into three groups, first, second and third groups. The first group has batteries with 90% or more SoC, the second group has 90% or lower SoC, and a third group has “locked,” “non-chargeable” or “non-exchangeable” batteries”].
With regards to claim 5 Shih discloses, the battery charging management system according to claim 1, wherein the charging modes comprise a plurality out of:
a non-charging mode, a normal charging mode, a rapid charging mode, a gentle charging mode, and a sustainable charging mode [¶63 “For example, batteries B1 and B2 (with SoC higher than 90%) can be charged with 0.2 C, the “slowest” charging process in reference with the charging rule CR2 that is chosen for batteries B1 and B2 in step (S7). Batteries B3 and B4 (SoC in the range of 89-60%) at the rate of “0.4 C.” Batteries B5 and B6 (with SoC in the range of 50-0%) at the rate of “0.7 C” with reference to the charging rule CR1. In some embodiments, the charging rules further include conditions regarding the temperature of batteries” discloses normal, rapid, and gentle modes, ¶53 “Because the predicted demands in HOUR 2 and HOUR 3 are not “imminent,” the system 100 can delay or postpone charging the batteries B3-B6 based on a charging plan having a charging threshold for each of the batteries” discloses a non-charging mode, and ¶19 “Based on the customized battery charging rules (e.g., determined based on one or more characteristics, features, and/or patterns of the exchangeable battery), the battery can be charged to achieve one or more objectives such as increasing/maximizing battery life spans, enhancing battery performances, and/or improving energy efficiency” disclosing the sustainable mode], and
the charging management base and/or the user terminals and/or the charging control units is/are configured to define the charging mode information and/or the charging parameter desired value information depending on prioritization information and/or use history information [¶21 “The present system is configured to collect various types of battery information, such as, one or more of (1) battery manufacturing information, (2) battery characteristic information, (3) battery charging information, (4) battery usage information, and (5) other suitable battery information”].
With regards to claim 6 Shih discloses, the battery charging management system according to claim 5, wherein the use history information comprises information about a non-use period, and
the prioritization information comprises a prioritization of the gentle charging mode for the non-use period [¶34 “In some embodiments, the disclosed system can perform a “just-in-time” charging process. In such embodiments, the system charges a battery in a relatively slow way (e.g., using lower current for a longer period of time or charging the battery during a time period that charging power is less expensive) until a battery demand is confirmed (e.g., a user reservation or a predicted demand), so that the battery could be fully charged before it is provided to the user). Charging with lower current can result in better battery health and/or longer battery life” disclosing that while the battery is not in use the charging “mode” is a lower or “gentle” charging].
With regards to claim 7 Shih discloses, the battery charging management system according to claim 5, wherein
the use history information comprises information about an expected use start time [¶25 “Examples of battery usage information include battery age information (e.g., use time and/or cycle count)”, and
the prioritization information comprises a prioritization of the rapid charging mode depending on the expected use start time [fig 7 701 where demand information is received and 703 where a charging plan is determined based on the demand or “expected use start time”].
With regards to claim 8 Shih discloses, the battery charging management system according to claim 5, wherein the user predefinition information comprises information about a required use start time [fig 7 above where the demand information is based on a user submitting a request for a battery], and
the user terminals and/or the charging management base and/or the charging control units is/are configured to define the charging mode information and/or the charging parameter desired value information depending on the required use start time [fig 7 above and ¶43 “Station ST1 can plan to start charging these batteries at 6 p.m. Accordingly, the present disclosure is capable of providing suitable charging plans (e.g., based on charging rules and predicted demands) for a battery exchange service provider to achieve various goals (e.g., customer satisfaction, minimize overall charging expenses, etc.)”].
With regards to claim 9 Shih discloses, the battery charging management system according to claim 1, wherein
the respective charging control unit is configured for detecting at least one charging-relevant battery state parameter [¶88 “battery usage information (e.g., a battery age, a battery internal resistance, an actual battery charging temperature, an actual battery charging current, an actual battery charging voltage, an actual battery charging cycle, an actual battery charging speed, an actual battery charging time, an actual battery working temperature, an actual battery discharging time, etc.)”] of its battery unit and for defining the charging parameter desired value information for the relevant battery unit depending on the detected values of the at least one battery state parameter [fig 6 601 receive battery information, 603 analyze the information, 607 generate charging plan which reasonably reads that the “defining” or generating of a charging parameter is based on the “battery state parameter” or information].
With regards to claim 10 Shih discloses, the battery charging management system according to claim 1, wherein
the charging parameter desired value information comprises different charging current and/or charging voltage desired value predefinitions for at least five different battery temperature ranges,
the charging parameter desired value information predefines a non-charging mode below a minimum temperature and above a maximum temperature [¶33 “have another set of candidate charging rules that applies to batteries located in a low-demand battery exchange station (e.g., not charging when a battery temperature excesses a threshold value)” where the threshold reasonably reads on a min and max temperatures],
predefines a sequence of at least two battery temperature ranges adjacent to the minimum temperature, and predefines a constant or progressively lower charging current and/or a constant or progressively lower charging voltage for a sequence of at least two battery temperature ranges adjacent to the maximum temperature [figs 5a-c disclose at least five different ranges where the charging current and/or voltage is different and ¶31 “The temperature thresholds for Rules A, B, and C can be different. For example, the temperature threshold for Rule A is 45°, the temperature threshold for Rule B is 52° C., and the temperature threshold for Rule C is 55° C. The reference factors, thresholds and logic of charging rules (e.g., Rules A, B and C) can be set or updated based on (1) system preference information; (2) results of statistical analyses; (3) results of machine training of historical data; (4) simulations of historical/real-time data; and/or (5) results of experiments” which reasonably reads on the system being capable of well more than five different ranges].
With regards to claim 11 Shih discloses, the battery charging management system according to claim 1, wherein the charging setting information and/or the user predefinition information include(s) at least one out of:
target battery capacity information, target battery energy information, target battery voltage information, and target battery use duration information [¶88 above disclosing the battery information].
With regards to claim 13 Shih discloses, the battery charging management method according to claim 12, wherein the method is carried out by the battery charging management system according to claim 1 [see rejections of claims 12 and 1].
With regards to claim 14 Shih discloses, the battery charging management method according to Claim 12, wherein for performing a respective charging process of one of the battery units by way of the associated charging control unit, the charging parameter desired value information is defined and periodically updated depending on detected actual values of the at least one charging-relevant battery state parameter of the battery unit [¶98 “In some embodiments, the server system 400 can generate a customized battery charging rule for the batteries in the client station 40 in a real-time or near real-time manner. In such embodiments, the server system 400 monitors the status of the client station 40. Once there is a change (e.g., a user just removed two fully-charged batteries and left two empty ones at the client station 40) or a potential change (e.g., a user makes a reservation to exchange batteries at the client station 40) that may affect the charging process of the client station 40, the server system 400 can perform the analysis mentioned above and generate an updated battery charging rule for the client station 40 to follow. In some embodiments, the change or potential change can be transmitted to the server system 400 from a mobile device (e.g., a user uses an app installed thereon to make a battery reservation), another server (e.g., a web-service server associated with an app used by a user), and/or the client station 40”].
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shih et al. US 20190207398 in view of Truettner et al. US 20220094207.
With regards to claim 2 Shih fails to disclose, the battery charging management system according to claim 1, wherein the battery units are embodied as rechargeable battery packs for supplying energy to hand-guided work apparatuses.
However, Truettner discloses, the battery charging management system according to claim 1, wherein the battery units are embodied as rechargeable battery packs for supplying energy to hand-guided work apparatuses [title “Wireless charging pad for power tool battery packs” where power tool reasonably reads on the “hand-guided work apparatus(es)”].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the charging systems of Shih and Truettner to employ a charging system to recharge the batteries of work apparatuses in order to improve user experience and maximize efficiency.
With regards to claim 3 the combination discloses, the battery charging management system according to claim 2, wherein the hand-guided work apparatuses are hand-guided garden, forestry, construction and/or groundwork apparatuses [Truettner title includes “power tool” which are known garden, forestry, construction, and groundwork apparatuses].
Conclusion
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/NATHAN J INSTONE/Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859