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 May 2, 2023, claims 1-20 are pending.
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 1-4, 9-14 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rastegar US20210307113A1 in view of Xu et al. CN203368058U.
Regarding claim 1. Rastegar discloses a device comprising:
a battery cell (VB);
at least one electrical circuit configured to provide given functionality when drawing a given functional operating current from the battery cell (FIG. 51 - switching network LC components;
a temperature measurement device (FIG. 51 – thermistor; temperature sensor 541) configured to measure a temperature of the battery cell (¶204);
a battery cell parameter determination device configured to determine at least an impedance of the battery cell (¶125 – battery impedance measured; ¶131 – charging unit 200 checks the temperatures based on the battery impedance AND the temperature sensor); and
a controller (FIG. 52- microcontroller) configured to:
determine, via the temperature measurement device, the temperature of the battery cell (¶204);
determine, via the battery cell parameter determination device, the impedance of the battery cell (¶125/131 ); and,
when the temperature of the battery cell is below a threshold temperature (¶205 - when the measured temperature falls below the set threshold) and the impedance of the battery cell is above a threshold impedance (¶110 – at very low temperatures impedance of an energy storage device is very high, exceeding the normal range, thus, above a threshold; FIG. 32- when the battery temperature is very low, the internal resistance is high)
Rastegar does not explicit disclose control the at least one electrical circuit to enter a low efficiency mode by controlling the at least one electrical circuit to draw an auxiliary current from the battery cell to heat the battery cell, the auxiliary current being below the given functional operating current, the at least one electrical circuit having reduced functionality, relative to the given functionality, while drawing the auxiliary current.
Xu teaches to control the at least one electrical circuit to enter a low efficiency mode by controlling the at least one electrical circuit to draw an auxiliary current from the battery cell to heat the battery cell, the auxiliary current being below the given functional operating current, the at least one electrical circuit having reduced functionality, relative to the given functionality, while drawing the auxiliary current (¶8 – when an emergency situation occurs, only auxiliary current is generated by the battery pack providing reduced functionality, from the main battery pack. It is well known that by drawing current form a battery cell the battery cell will heat).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill to draw only auxiliary current, as taught by Xu, to the system of Rastegar, in times when the battery temperature is below optimal operation in order to prolong the service life of the battery (¶2).
Regarding claim 11. Rastegar discloses a method comprising:
determining, via a temperature measurement device FIG. 51 – thermistor; temperature sensor 541), a temperature of a battery cell (VB) of a device (¶204);
determining, via a battery cell parameter determination device (¶125 – battery impedance measured; ¶131 – charging unit 200 checks the temperatures based on the battery impedance AND the temperature sensor), an impedance of the battery cell (¶125/131 ); and,
when the temperature of the battery cell is below a threshold temperature (¶205 - when the measured temperature falls below the set threshold) and the impedance of the battery cell is above a threshold impedance (¶110 – at very low temperatures impedance of an energy storage device is very high, exceeding the normal range, thus, above a threshold; FIG. 32- when the battery temperature is very low, the internal resistance is high)
Rastegar does not explicitly disclose controlling, via a controller of the device, at least one electrical circuit of the device to enter a low efficiency mode by controlling the at least one electrical circuit to draw an auxiliary current from the battery cell to heat the battery cell, the auxiliary current being below a given functional operating current of the at least one electrical circuit, the at least one electrical circuit having reduced functionality, relative to a given functionality when drawing a given functional operating current from the battery cell, while drawing the auxiliary current.
Xu teaches to controlling, via a controller of the device, the at least one electrical circuit to enter a low efficiency mode by controlling the at least one electrical circuit to draw an auxiliary current from the battery cell to heat the battery cell, the auxiliary current being below the given functional operating current, the at least one electrical circuit having reduced functionality, relative to the given functionality, while drawing the auxiliary current (¶8 – when an emergency situation occurs, only auxiliary current is generated by the battery pack providing reduced functionality, from the main battery pack. It is well known that by drawing current form a battery cell the battery cell will heat).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill to draw only auxiliary current, as taught by Xu, to the system of Rastegar, in times when the battery temperature is below optimal operation in order to prolong the service life of the battery (¶2).
Regarding claim 2 and claim 12. Rastegar discloses that the battery cell parameter determination device is configured to determine a voltage of the battery cell (¶206 – total resistance determined form the voltage across the battery) , and
the controller (FIG. 52- microcontroller) is further configured to:
determine, via the battery cell parameter determination device, the voltage of the battery cell (¶206); and,
when the temperature of the battery cell is below the threshold temperature (¶205 - when the measured temperature falls below the set threshold) and the impedance of the battery cell is above the threshold impedance (¶110 – at very low temperatures impedance of an energy storage device is very high, exceeding the normal range, thus, above a threshold)
and the voltage of the battery cell is above a threshold voltage (if the impedance is high, then necessarily the voltage is also high due to the equation Z = V/I)
Rastegar does not explicitly disclose control the at least one electrical circuit to enter the low efficiency mode.
Xu teaches to control the at least one electrical circuit to enter the low efficiency mode (¶8 – when an emergency situation occurs, only auxiliary current is generated by the battery pack providing reduced functionality, from the main battery pack. It is well known that by drawing current form a battery cell the battery cell will heat).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill to draw only auxiliary current, as taught by Xu, to the system of Rastegar, in times when the battery temperature is below optimal operation in order to prolong the service life of the battery (¶2).
Regarding claim 3 and claim 13. Rastegar teaches that the at least one electrical circuit comprises one or more of:
a MOSFET (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor) with biasing control capability (¶205 – switches S1/S2;
a regulator (¶180 – voltage regulator)
Regarding claim 4 and claim 14. Rastegar does not explicitly teach threshold impedance and the auxiliary current is dependent on one or more of the temperature and a type of the battery cell.
Xu teaches that the auxiliary current is dependent on temperature (¶8 – auxiliary current is generated due to the limiting temperature control element )
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill to draw only auxiliary current, as taught by Xu, to the system of Rastegar, in times when the battery temperature is below optimal operation in order to prolong the service life of the battery (¶2).
Regarding claim 9 and claim 19. Rastegar discloses that the at least one electrical circuit excludes a dedicated battery cell heater and a dedicated device heater (¶205 – self-heating).
Regarding claim 10 and claim 20. Rastegar discloses a battery that includes the battery cell, and wherein at least a portion of the battery cell parameter determination device is located external to the battery (FIG. 13 - 314 – charging voltage , current and impedance occurs external to battery 301).
Claims 5 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rastegar US20210307113A1 in view of Xu et al. CN203368058U in further view of Yebka et al. US20170170672A1.
Regarding claim 5 and claim 15. Rastegar does not explicitly teach that while the at least one electrical circuit is in the low efficiency mode, again measure the impedance of the battery cell; and as the impedance of the battery cell decreases, control the auxiliary current to increase.
Yebka disclose that while the at least one electrical circuit is in the low efficiency mode (from claim 1, this is entered when the impedance is over a threshold – Yebka FIG. 15, ¶76 – impedance of battery exceeds a threshold), again measure the impedance of the battery cell (¶76 after a time period the current impedance is again assessed); and
as the impedance of the battery cell decreases, control the auxiliary current to increase (using Ohm’s law, R = V/I, when the current is increased, the impedance/resistance necessarily decreases).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the impedance measuring of Yebka to the system of Rastegar in order to provide an assessment to determine whether the battery has a permanent failure or when the impedance is within a normal range (¶75-76)
Claims 6-7 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rastegar US20210307113A1 in view of Xu et al. CN203368058U in further view of Melanson US20240154201A1
Regarding claim 6 and claim 16. Rastegar does not explicitly teach that the controller is further configured to control the at least one electrical circuit to exit the low efficiency mode when the temperature of the battery cell reaches, or rises above, the threshold temperature.
Melanson discloses that the controller is further configured to control the at least one electrical circuit (audio amplifier 126) to exit the low efficiency mode when the temperature of the battery cell reaches, or rises above, the threshold temperature (¶110/114 – heating is performed to a temperature within a target range and the audio amplifier operates in a low efficiency mode to dissipate the heat).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the heating control of Melanson to the heating of Rastegar in order to maintain the battery within a predetermined temperature range that is optimal for the system (¶9)
Regarding claim 7 and claim 17. Rastegar does not explicitly disclose the controller is further configured to one or more of: when the at least one electrical circuit comprises an RF transmit amplifier, and an RF transmit event is occurring, delay controlling of the RF transmit amplifier to enter the low efficiency mode until the RF transmit event is completed; when the at least one electrical circuit comprises the RF transmit amplifier, and a respective RF transmit event occurs while the RF transmit amplifier is in the low efficiency mode, control the RF transmit amplifier to exit the low efficiency mode; when the at least one electrical circuit comprises an audio amplifier, and an RF receive event is occurring, delay controlling the at least one electrical circuit to enter the low efficiency mode until the RF receive event is completed; and when the at least one electrical circuit comprises the audio amplifier, and a respective RF receive event occurs while the audio amplifier is in the low efficiency mode, control the audio amplifier to exit the low efficiency mode.
Melanson discloses that when the at least one electrical circuit comprises the audio amplifier, and a respective RF receive event occurs while the audio amplifier is in the low efficiency mode, control the audio amplifier to exit the low efficiency mode (¶114 – the audio amplifier would only operate in a low efficiency mode to dissipate additional heat. If the normal operation is needed then a more efficient mode is used otherwise the audio amplifier would not be operational).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the heating control of Melanson to the heating of Rastegar in order to maintain the battery within a predetermined temperature range that is optimal for the system (¶9)
Claims 8 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rastegar US20210307113A1 in view of Xu et al. CN203368058U in further view of Sofer et al. US20140077856A1.
Regarding claim 8 and claim 18. Rastegar does not explicitly teach a second temperature measurement device configured to measure a respective temperature of one or more of the at least one electrical circuit and an integrated circuit adjacent the at least one electrical circuit, the controller configured to: when the respective temperature of one or more the at least one electrical circuit and the integrated circuit is below a respective threshold temperature: control the at least one electrical circuit to enter a heating mode, in which one or more of power consumption, current consumption, voltage output and frequency increases, to cause the respective temperature of one or more the at least one electrical circuit and the integrated circuit to increase; and control the at least one electrical circuit to exit the heating mode when one or more of: the respective temperature of one or more the at least one electrical circuit and the integrated circuit reaches, or rises, above the respective threshold temperature; and an event occurs in association with the at least one electrical circuit, the event requiring the at least one electrical circuit to perform the given functionality.
Sofer discloses a second temperature measurement device (46) configured to measure a respective temperature of an integrated circuit adjacent the at least one electrical circuit (10/40) (¶45), the controller configured to:
when the respective temperature of one or more the at least one electrical circuit and the integrated circuit is below a respective threshold temperature (¶54):
control the at least one electrical circuit to enter a heating mode (¶51), in which current consumption to cause the respective temperature of one or more the integrated circuit to increase (¶32 – in the second mode (self-heating mode) higher current consumption rate is generated); and
control the at least one electrical circuit to exit the heating mode (¶52) when the respective temperature of the integrated circuit reaches, or rises, above the respective threshold temperature (¶52 – integrated circuit switch from second mode (self-heating) to the first mode when the temperature is above the threshold).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the temperature control to an integrated circuit of an electrical circuit to be in an optimal range, as taught by Sofer, in order to assure correct behavior of the circuitry (¶15).
Related Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yun US20220283232A1 discloses measuring the temperature and resistance of the battery and determining whether the temperature exceeds a threshold.
Kelly US5795664A illustrates in FIG. 1 that the lower the temperature the higher the impedance.
Mueller et al. US20200079239A1 discloses an impedance measuring device and a temperature measuring apparatus and that the bounds are a safe range for operation (¶40).
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
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