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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant' s amendment and response filed 11/25/2025 has been entered and made record. This application contains 6 pending claims.
Claims 1 and 4 have been amended.
Claim 2 has been cancelled.
Claims 5-7 have been added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant' s arguments filed 11/25/2025 regarding claims rejections under 35 U.S.C. 101 in claims 1-4 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Claims 1 and 4 have been amended, and the amended claims limitations integrated the judicial exception into a practical application and overcome the 101 rejections. Thus, the 101 claims rejections in claims 1-4 have been withdrawn.
The newly added claims 5-7 depend from claim 1, and thus, claims 5-7 are not subject to the 101 rejections.
Applicant's arguments filed 11/25/2025 regarding claims rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 in claims 1-4 have been fully considered and persuasive. However, a newly discovered prior art, Bacquet US 20160291114, will be used in combination with prior arts cited in the previous office action to reject the amended claim limitations.
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.
Claims 1 and 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nozaki (US 20070120530, hereinafter Nozaki) in view of Ando et al. (US 20220069369, hereinafter Ando), and further in view of Bacquet et al. (US 20160291114, hereinafter Bacquet).
As to claims 1 and 4, Nozaki teaches a battery (FIG. 1 shows first battery 600, and second battery 700);
a plurality of sensors each configured to detect a corresponding parameter of the battery (FIG. 2 shows output side voltage sensor 420, battery electric current sensor 620, battery voltage sensor 610; [0011] and [0043] disclose the voltage sensor for detecting the battery voltage; and a battery electric current IB detected by the battery electric current sensor); and
a controller (Claim 17 discloses a controller), wherein
an abnormality of a sensor of the plurality of sensors does not lead to an abnormality of a remainder of the sensors ([0025], [0063] and [0092] disclose electric current value detecting means for detecting an electric current value of the battery; and the battery voltage sensor 610 detects the increased voltage VH. If the battery voltage sensor and the output side voltage sensor provided on the output side of the DC-DC converter are normal, the absolute value of the difference between the voltage values detected by the voltage sensors is small, and thus, it can be determined that the voltage sensors are normal. If the value obtained by subtracting the second absolute value from the first absolute value is large, it can be determined that the detected battery voltage has a large error, and the battery voltage sensor is abnormal. If the value obtained by subtracting the first absolute value from the second absolute value is large, it can be determined that the detected output side voltage has a large error, and the output side voltage sensor is abnormal (i.e., an abnormality of a voltage sensor of the plurality of sensors does not lead to an abnormality of a remainder of the sensors such as current sensor and current value detecting means – emphasis added by Examiner)),
the plurality of sensors includes a first sensor, a second sensor and a third sensor (FIG. 2 and [0025] disclose voltage sensors and current sensor (i.e., each one of these sensors can be assigned as a first sensor, a second sensor and a third sensor – emphasis added by Examiner)).
Nozaki does not explicitly teach a first sensor is more likely to become abnormal than a second sensor and a third sensor, and the controller is configured to determines that the battery is abnormal in response to the first sensor outputting an abnormal value and at least one of the second sensor or the third sensor outputting an abnormal value, determining that the first sensor is abnormal in response to the first sensor outputting the abnormal value and each of the second sensor and the third sensor outputting a normal value.
Bacquet teaches a first sensor is more likely to become abnormal than a second sensor and a third sensor ([0025], [0027], and [0037] disclose temperature sensors, voltages sensors, current sensors. If at least one mesh equation is not complied with by the sensor output values, it can be deduced that at least one sensor in the system is defective. If, for a given sensor, none of the equations of the meshes which comprise the sensor is satisfied, it can be deduced that the sensor is defective or most likely defective (i.e., some of these sensors can be assigned as a first sensor, a second sensor and a third sensor, and one of the sensors is defective or most likely defective than the second sensor or the third sensor – emphasis added by Examiner)), and
the controller is configured to determines that the battery is abnormal in response to the first sensor outputting an abnormal value and at least one of the second sensor or the third sensor outputting an abnormal value ([0005], [0058], and Claim 1 disclose taking into account the detected number of inconsistencies and of sensors concerned by the inconsistencies, processing unit 201 may locate the defective sensor(s); and detecting a malfunction of a voltage sensor of a battery management system (i.e., the processing unit determines the defective sensor(s) or the first sensor; and the malfunctioned voltage sensor or the second sensor or the third sensor which would output an abnormal value because the sensor is malfunctioned – emphasis added by Examiner); and when a sensor of a battery management system outputs an abnormal value, it is assumed that the battery is failing,),
determining that the first sensor is abnormal in response to the first sensor outputting the abnormal value and each of the second sensor and the third sensor outputting a normal value ([0039] discloses “If none of the equations in the set is verified by the output values of the sensors, it can be deduced that sensor A3 is defective or most likely defective (i.e., determining that sensor A3 is defective in response to outputting abnormal value, and it can be considered that other sensors are not detective since a specific sensor A3 is described as defective – emphasis added by Examiner).”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Bacquet into Nozaki in for the purpose of detecting a malfunction of a battery management system in order to distinguish failure of battery sensors and an effective battery failure. This combination would improve in accurately detecting defective sensors that caused the battery management system malfunctioned and outputted abnormal values so that
the battery can be placed in safe conditions.
Nozaki does not explicitly teach perform an emergency stop of charging or discharging of the battery in response to determining that the battery is abnormal.
Ando teaches perform an emergency stop of charging or discharging of the battery in response to determining that the battery is abnormal ([0010] discloses limiting of charging of the second battery includes prohibit charging of the second battery, in response to detection of a high-temperature abnormality in the second battery at the same time at which a high-temperature abnormality in the first battery has been detected abnormal (i.e., perform an emergency stop of charging in response to determining that the battery is abnormal due to a high temperature abnormality which could cause deformation of cells in the high voltage battery [0025], and/or damaged of the battery ([0027]) – emphasis added by Examiner)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Ando into Nozaki in view of Bacquet for the purpose of diagnosing an abnormality of a battery depending on temperature values of one or more of a plurality of temperature sensors attached to the battery. This combination would improve in accurately diagnosing a high-temperature abnormality in the battery, and charging/discharging of the battery when a high-temperature abnormality has been diagnosed in the battery is prohibited to
curb damage of the battery.
As to claim 5, the combination of Nozaki, Ando, and Bacquet teaches the claimed limitations as discussed in claim 1.
Nozaki teaches the first sensor is configured to detect a voltage of the battery as the corresponding parameter of the battery ([0011]).
Nozaki does not explicitly teach the second sensor is configured to detect a temperature of a first portion of the battery as the corresponding parameter of the battery, and the third sensor is configured to detect a temperature of a second portion of the battery as the corresponding parameter of the battery, the second portion of the battery being different from the first portion of the battery.
Bacquet teaches the first sensor is configured to detect a voltage of the battery as the corresponding parameter of the battery (FIG. 1, voltage sensors V1 to V6),
the second sensor is configured to detect a temperature of a first portion of the battery as the corresponding parameter of the battery (FIG. 2 and [0049] disclose “the battery control system comprises fifteen temperature sensors Tj,k, respectively arranged to measure the temperature in the vicinity of cells Cj,k. Thus, sensors Tj,k are arranged to measure the temperature of fifteen different points of the battery (i.e., one of the temperature sensors can be assigned as a second sensor that detect a temperature of the vicinity of cells Cj,k or a first portion of the battery as the corresponding parameter of the battery – emphasis added by Examiner).”), and
the third sensor is configured to detect a temperature of a second portion of the battery as the corresponding parameter of the battery (FIG. 2 and [0049] disclose “the battery control system comprises fifteen temperature sensors Tj,k, respectively arranged to measure the temperature in the vicinity of cells Cj,k. Thus, sensors Tj,k are arranged to measure the temperature of fifteen different points of the battery (i.e., one of the temperature sensors can be assigned as a third sensor that detect a temperature of the vicinity of cells Cj,k or a second portion of the battery as the corresponding parameter of the battery – emphasis added by Examiner).”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Bacquet into Nozaki in view of Ando in for the purpose of detecting a malfunction of a battery management system in order to distinguish failure of battery sensors and an effective battery failure. This combination would improve in accurately detecting defective sensors that caused the battery management system malfunctioned and outputted abnormal values so that
the battery can be placed in safe conditions.
As to claim 6, the combination of Nozaki, Ando, and Bacquet teaches the claimed limitations as discussed in claim 5.
Nozaki does not explicitly teach wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to detecting the first sensor being abnormal, suppress the charging or discharging of battery.
Ando teaches wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to detecting the first sensor being abnormal, suppress the charging or discharging of battery ([0010] discloses limiting of charging (i.e., suppress the charging of the battery in response to determining that the battery is abnormal due to a high temperature abnormality – emphasis added by Examiner) that includes prohibition of charging of the second battery of the second battery in response to detection of a high-temperature abnormality in the second battery at the same time at which a high-temperature abnormality in the first battery has been detected abnormal).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Ando into Nozaki in view of Bacquet for the purpose of diagnosing an abnormality of a battery depending on temperature values of one or more of a plurality of temperature sensors attached to the battery. This combination would improve in accurately diagnosing a high-temperature abnormality in the battery, and charging/discharging of the battery when a high-temperature abnormality has been diagnosed in the battery is prohibited to curb damage of the battery.
As to claim 7, the combination of Nozaki, Ando, and Bacquet teaches the claimed limitations as discussed in claim 5.
Nozaki does not explicitly teach wherein the controller is configured to perform the emergency stop of charging or discharging of the battery only in response to determining that the battery is abnormal.
Ando teaches wherein the controller is configured to perform the emergency stop of charging or discharging of the battery only in response to determining that the battery is abnormal ([0010] discloses limiting of charging of the second battery includes prohibit charging of the second battery, in response to detection of a high-temperature abnormality in the second battery at the same time at which a high-temperature abnormality in the first battery has been detected abnormal (i.e., perform an emergency stop of charging in response to determining that the battery is abnormal due to a high temperature abnormality which could cause deformation of cells in the high voltage battery [0025], and/or damaged of the battery ([0027]) – emphasis added by Examiner)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Ando into Nozaki in view of Bacquet for the purpose of diagnosing an abnormality of a battery depending on temperature values of one or more of a plurality of temperature sensors attached to the battery. This combination would improve in accurately diagnosing a high-temperature abnormality in the battery, and charging/discharging of the battery when a high-temperature abnormality has been diagnosed in the battery is prohibited to
curb damage of the battery.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nozaki, Ando, and Bacquet, in view of Sawada et al. (US 20170222197, hereinafter Sawada).
As to claim 3, the combination of Nozaki, Ando, and Bacquet teaches the claimed limitations as discussed in claim 1.
The combination of Nozaki and Ando does not explicitly teach wherein the controller is disposed at a position to reduce an influence of an abnormality of the battery on the controller.
Sawada teaches wherein the controller is disposed at a position to reduce an influence of an abnormality of the battery on the controller ([0007] discloses when the control unit is provided in the lower part whose temperature is comparatively low, resistance loss caused by the temperature increase is inhibited, the high efficiency is maintained, and malfunction caused by the temperature increase is inhibited, whereby the battery pack having the high reliability can be obtained (i.e., the control unit or controller is disposed at a lower part position of the battery pact where temperature is comparatively low, and malfunction caused by the temperature increase can be restrained, and an influence of an abnormality of the battery is reduced – emphasis added by Examiner); [0115] discloses it is preferred that the control unit is disposed in the lower side of the battery pack of the present invention in the vertical direction, as the lower side can be maintained at a comparatively low temperature in the battery pack during the practical use, to thereby decrease a probability of the malfunctions of the control unit (i.e., the control unit or controller is disposed at a lower part position of the battery pact where temperature is comparatively low, and malfunction caused by the temperature increase is can be restrained, and an influence of an abnormality of the battery on the controller is reduced – emphasis added by Examiner)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Sawada into Nozaki in view of Ando and Bacquet for the purpose of inhibiting accelerating deterioration of battery characteristics caused by the heated laminate battery by disposing electrode terminals on one side part of the battery, a bag part on the opposite side, and a control unit in the lower part whose temperature is comparatively low, resistance loss caused by the temperature increase is inhibited, a high efficiency is maintained, and malfunction caused by a temperature increase is inhibited. This combination would improve in providing a power storage unit with a battery pack capable of maintaining a high efficiency and having a high reliability.
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 LAL CE MANG whose telephone number is (571)272-0370. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday- 8:30-12:00, 1:00-5:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Catherine T Rastovski can be reached at (571) 270-0349. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAL CE MANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2857