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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the components of the energy storage system, as recited in claim 12, must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: BATTERY BALANCING APPARATUS USING PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSFORMERS AND RELATED DEVICE.
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 10-12 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 10 recites a battery string (line 1) and the battery string comprises N battery cells, and N is an integer greater than 1 (lines 2-3). However, claim 1 already recites N battery cells in a battery string, where N is an integer greater than 1 (see claim 1, lines 7-9). Thus, it is unclear if claim 10 is referring back to the previously recited string and N battery cells recited in claim 1, or if claim 10 is introducing another string and N battery cells. For examination purposes, claim 10 is being interpreted a referring back to the string and N battery cells recited in claim 1.
Claims 11 and 12 depend from claim 10 and inherit the same deficiency.
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, 2 and 9-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Firehammer et al (US 2011/0309795 A1) in view of Fornage (US 2016/0118789 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 9, Firehammer et al teaches a battery assisting apparatus (see Figs. 1-8), and associated method applied to an electronic device, comprising: a transformer group (Fig. 5, transformers 516, 522, 524), wherein the transformer group comprises N transformers (there is a transformer for each cell), and a drive circuit group (Fig. 5, monitor cell charge, balance cell, FET 506, resistors 508, 510 & 514, capacitor 512; for each transformer), wherein the drive circuit group comprises N drive circuits (there is a drive circuit for each transformer); respective output ends of the N drive circuits are connected to respective input ends of the N transformers in a one-to-one correspondence (as shown in Fig. 5); and respective output ends of the N transformers are connected to N battery cells (cells 1-3) in a battery string in a one-to-one correspondence (as shown in Fig. 5), wherein N is an integer greater than 1; M drive circuits in the N drive circuits are configured to respectively output first pulse signals (see, for example, para. 0045, 0069 & 0080-0081) to M transformers (for example, the transformers associated with the cell(s) that are below a lower voltage threshold, see para. 0055-0056) in the N transformers, wherein M is a positive integer less than N (see para. 0055-0056, one or more cells may be below the voltage lower threshold); and each of the M transformers is configured to receive the first pulse signal, and output, driven by the first pulse signal, electric energy to the battery cell corresponding to each transformer for charging, so that voltages of the N battery cells are consistent (for example, see para. 0073, all cells are at the desired charge threshold).
Firehammer et al does not specifically teach that the transformers are piezoelectric transformers.
Fornage teaches that converters having a transformer, where the transformer may utilize regular magnetics and/or a piezoelectric transformer (see para. 0016). Thus, Fornage teaches that a piezoelectric transformer is an art recognized equivalent to a regular magnetic based transformer.
In view of the teachings of Fornage, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date, to utilize a piezoelectric transformer with the system of Firehammer et al, since a piezoelectric transformer is an art recognized equivalent of a regular transformer. Furthermore, it is recognized in the art that piezoelectric transformers are smaller and lighter than regular magnetic based transformers.
Regarding claim 2, Firehammer et al as modified by Fornage teaches the battery assisting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising (see Figs. 4 & 5): a voltage detection circuit (voltage sensors and/or sampling logic, see para. 0028 & 0047); and a digital processing circuit (a microcontroller of the MBB, see para. 0039-0041), wherein an output end of the digital processing circuit is connected to respective input ends of the N drive circuits (see Figs. 4 & 5); and the voltage detection circuit is separately connected to the N battery cells and the digital processing circuit (see Figs. 4 & 5); the voltage detection circuit is configured to: detect respective voltage values of the N battery cells, and send the respective voltage values of the N battery cells to the digital processing circuit (see para. 0028, 0039-0047); and the digital processing circuit is configured to determine M battery cells from the N battery cells based on the respective voltage values of the N battery cells, wherein respective voltage values of the M battery cells are less than a minimum voltage value among voltage values of N-M battery cells see para. 0055-0056, one or more cells may be below the voltage lower threshold); the N-M battery cells belong to the N battery cells (see para. 0028, 0039-0047); and the M piezoelectric transformers are connected to the M battery cells in a one-to-one correspondence (as shown in Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 10, Firehammer et al as modified by Fornage teaches a battery pack (battery assembly 1, see Fig. 1 and para. 0025-0028), comprising a battery string, and the battery assisting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the battery string comprises N battery cells, and N is an integer greater than 1 (see the battery string and cells, as applied to claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 11, Firehammer et al as modified by Fornage teaches an automobile (a vehicle, see para. 0001 & 0052), comprising: a charging interface (necessarily present in order to be electrical communication with a charger external to the vehicle, see para. 0052 & 0057), a battery assembly (battery assembly 1, see Fig. 1); and a powertrain, wherein the battery assembly comprises the battery pack according to claim 10, and the powertrain comprises a motor and a transmission (a powertrain comprising a motor and a transmission are necessarily present in order to propel the vehicle, see para. 0052 & 0053).
Regarding claim 12, Firehammer et al as modified by Fornage teaches an energy storage system (for example, an energy storage system for a vehicle), comprising: a charge and discharge control module (electrical distribution module 33 (EDM), see Fig. 1 and para. 0028), an electric energy conversion module (for example, an inverter and/or power supply 504, see para. 0028 & 0043), and the battery pack according to claim 10, wherein the electric energy conversion module comprises a direct current-direct current conversion module (for example, power supply 504 is a DC/DC converter, see Fig. 5 and para. 0043).
Firehammer et al as modified by Fornage, as applied to claims 10 & 1 above, does not specifically teach that the electric energy conversion module comprises an alternating current-direct current conversion module.
However, Fornage further teaches an energy storage system (see Fig. 1) including an electric energy conversion module comprising an alternating current-direct current conversion module (pico-inverters 104 can convert AC power from AC bus 110 to a DC output for charging the corresponding battery cell 102, see para. 0016).
In view of the teachings of Fornage, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date, to include an alternating current-direct current conversion module with the system of Firehammer et al as modified by Fornage, since this would allow the use of an AC source to charge the battery/vehicle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 3, Firehammer et al as modified by Fornage does not teach each of the N piezoelectric transformers is configured to: receive the second pulse signal, and generate an ultrasonic wave driven by the second pulse signal, wherein the ultrasonic wave is used to detect a state of health of the battery cell corresponding to each piezoelectric transformer.
Firehammer et al teaches that the frequency of the pulse signal output by the drive circuit and applied to the transistor may be varied (see para. 0110) or may be a first or second frequency (see para. 0117). However, Firehammer et al only teaches the use of the pulse signal to control charging and/or discharging of the battery cells.
Deschamps et al (WO 2022/20241 A1) (see abstract), Steingart et al (US 2019/0072614 A1) (see para. 0028) and Hsieh et al (US 2018/0164383 A1) (see abstract, Figs. 1A & 1B) teach the use of an acoustic or ultrasonic wave to measure or estimate the ageing or health of a battery. However, these references utilize a dedicated transducer or emitter to generate the acoustic or ultrasonic wave. While Steingart et al teaches the use of a piezoelectric transducer (see para. 0028), this does not appear to be a piezoelectric transformer that outputs a voltage which could be used to charge a battery cell.
Since Firehammer et al as modified by Fornage utilizes the transformer for cell charging & discharging, and Deschamps et al, Steingart et al & Hsieh et al use dedicated transducers or emitters, without the benefit of applicant’s teachings, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to combine the prior art in a manner so as to utilize each of the N piezoelectric transformers to both charge the corresponding cell and generate an ultrasonic wave to detect a state of health of the corresponding battery cell, as recited in claim 3 (which depends from claim 1).
Claims 4-8 depend, either directly or indirectly, from claim 3 and would be allowable for at least the same reasons.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the additional references cited on the attached PTO-892, which are directed to battery cell balancing systems and methods.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jared Fureman whose telephone number is (571)272-2391. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 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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/JARED FUREMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859