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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 03/29/2023. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
“pre-stored open circuit voltage”
“second battery”
“standing process”
“same battery system”
“(m+b)-th charging process”
“open-circuit voltage OCVm+b”
“(m+b+1)-th charging process”
“condition of OCVn > OCVm+b”
“second charge cut-off voltage Um+b+1”
“condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm+b”
“Ucl is a limited charge voltage”
“battery system”
“N charging stages in sequence”
“M constant-current charging stages in sequence”
“k-th charging stages”
“charge current of the (k+1)-th charging stage”
“charge current of the k-th charging stage”
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) and/or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 10, and 12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 1 and claim 10, lines 3-4 recite “wherein the method comprises”, which should be revised to “wherein the charging method comprises”.
Claim 1, line 1 recites “for battery” and line 2 recites “a first battery”. These are interpreted to be the same feature. Thus, the language should be revised be consistent. It is suggested to do one of the following.
Either revise line 1 to “for a first battery” and line 2 to “[[a]] first battery”, or
revise line 1 to “for a battery” and line 2 to “the battery”.
Claim 10, line 2 recites “a battery” and line 5 recites “a first battery”. These are interpreted to be the same feature. Thus, the language should be revised be consistent. Further line 3 recites “a charging method for battery”, which should be revised to incorporate “the” to precede either “battery” or “first battery”.
Claim 12, lines 1-2 recite “under the condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm”, which should be revised to “under [[the]] a condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 2, 10, and 18 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 2, line 3 and claim 11, line 3 recite “the standing process”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this term. For examination purposes, “the standing process” is interpreted to be referring to the prior limitation “leaving the first battery standing”.
Claim 18, lines 1-2 recite “the M constant-current charging stages”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this term. For examination purposes, claim 18 is interpreted to be dependent on claim 17.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-18 are rejected on the ground of provisional nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-7, 9, 11-17, and 19 of the copending application # 18/192,228 (claims filed 03/29/2023).
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the conflicting claims have not in fact been patented.
The following table compares the instant application and the copending application’s claims. The patentably indistinct claim language is identified with bold text.
Instant Application 18/192,069
Copending Application # 18/192,228
Claim 1
A charging method for battery, wherein the method comprises:
in an n-th charging process,
charging a first battery to a charge cut-off voltage Un in a charging manner,
wherein n is a positive integer greater than 0;
after the n-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVn, of the first battery at a standing time of ti;
in an m-th charging process, charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the charging manner,
wherein m is a positive integer, and m>n;
after the m-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm, in an (m+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to a first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner,
(NOTE: “charging manner” = “first charging manner” and/or “second charging manner”)
wherein Um+1 =Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 1
A charging method for battery, comprising:
in an n-th charging process,
charging a first battery to a charge cut-off voltage Un in a first charging manner,
wherein n is a positive integer greater than 0;
after the n-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVn of the first battery at a standing time of ti;
in an m-th charging process, charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner,
wherein m is a positive integer, and m > n;
after the m-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm, in an (m+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner and then continuing to charge the first battery to a first voltage Um+1 in a second charging manner,
where Um+1 =Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 2
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the open-circuit voltage OCVn comprises a pre-stored open-circuit voltage of a second battery collected at the standing time of ti in the standing process that follows completion of the n-th charging process,
wherein the first battery and the second battery are different batteries in a same battery system.
Claim 2
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the open-circuit voltage OCVn further comprises a pre-stored open-circuit voltage, wherein the open-circuit voltage is an open-circuit voltage of a second battery collected at the standing time of ti in the standing process that follows completion of the n-th charging process,
wherein the first battery and the second battery are different batteries in a same battery system.
Claim 3
The charging method according to claim 1, further comprising:
under a condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm, in the (m+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the charging manner.
Claim 3
The charging method according to claim 1, further comprising:
under a condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm, in the (m+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner.
Claim 4
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the method further comprises:
in an (m+b)-th charging process, charging the first battery to the first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner, wherein b is a positive integer greater than 1;
(NOTE: “charging manner” = “first charging manner” and/or “second charging manner”)
after the (m+b)-th charging process is completed, leaving the first battery standing, and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm+b of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm+b,
in an (m+b+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to a second charge cut-off voltage Um+b+1 in the charging manner,
(NOTE: “charging manner” = “first charging manner” and/or “second charging manner”)
wherein Um+b+1 = Um+1 + k × (OCVn − OCVm+b),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 4
The charging method according to claim 1, further comprising:
in an (m+b)-th charging process, charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner and then continuing to charge the first battery to the first voltage Um+1 in the second charging manner, where b is a positive integer greater than 1;
after the (m+b)-th charging process is completed, leaving the first battery standing, and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm+b of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm+b,
in an (m+b+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the first voltage Un in the first charging manner and then continuing to charge the first battery to a second voltage Um+b+1 in the second charging manner,
where Um+b+1 = Um+1 + k × (OCVn − OCVm+b),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 5
The charging method according to claim 4,
wherein the method further comprises:
under the condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm+b,
in the (m+b+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner.
(NOTE: “charging manner” = “first charging manner” and/or “second charging manner”)
Claim 5
The charging method according to claim 4, further comprising:
under a condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm+b,
in the (m+b+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner and then charging the first battery to the first voltage Um+1 in the second charging manner.
Claim 6
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein Ucl ≤ Un ≤ Ucl + 500 mV,
wherein Ucl is a limited charge voltage of a battery system to which the first battery belongs.
Claim 6
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein Ucl ≤ Un ≤ Ucl + 500 mV,
wherein Ucl is a limited charge voltage of a battery system to which the first battery belongs.
Claim 7
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the charging manner comprises N charging stages in sequence, wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1,
and in the N-th charging stage,
the first battery is charged constantly with a constant charge cut-off voltage.
Claim 7
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the first charging manner comprises N1 charging phases in sequence, wherein N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1,
and in the N1-th charging phase,
the first battery is charged constantly with the charge cut-off voltage Un.
Claim 8
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the charging manner further comprises M constant-current charging stages in sequence,
wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1,
and in the constant-current charging stages, after a voltage of the first battery reaches the charge cut-off voltage Un,
each of the subsequent constant-current charging stages is cut off by using the charge cut-off voltage Un.
Claim 9
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the first charging manner comprises M1 constant-current charging phases in sequence,
wherein M1 is a positive integer greater than 1,
after the first battery is charged to the charge cut-off voltage Un with a constant current,
each of the subsequent constant-current charging phase is cut off by using the charge cut-off voltage Un,
and the M1 constant-current charging phases are each defined as an i-th charging phase, with i = 1, 2, ..., M1, wherein a charge current of an (i+1)-th charging phase is less than a charge current of the i-th charging phase.
Claim 9
The charging method according to claim 8,
wherein the M constant-current charging stages are each defined as a k-th charging stages, with k = 1, 2, ..., M, wherein a charge current of the (k+1)-th charging stage is less than a charge current of the k-th charging stage.
Claim 10
An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a battery;
and a processor, configured to execute a charging method for battery, wherein the method comprises:
in an n-th charging process,
charging a first battery to a charge cut-off voltage Un in a charging manner,
wherein n is a positive integer greater than 0;
after the n-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVn, of the first battery at a standing time of ti;
in an m-th charging process,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the charging manner,
wherein m is a positive integer, and m > n;
after the m-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm,
in an (m+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to a first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner,
(NOTE: “charging manner” = “first charging manner” and/or “second charging manner”)
wherein Um+1 = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 11
An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a battery; and
a processor configured to execute the steps of:
in an n-th charging process,
charging a first battery to a charge cut-off voltage Un in a first charging manner,
wherein n is a positive integer greater than 0;
after the n-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVn of the first battery at a standing time of ti;
in an m-th charging process,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner,
wherein m is a positive integer, and m > n;
after the m-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm,
in an (m+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner and then continuing to charge the first battery to a first voltage Um+1 in a second charging manner,
where Um+1 =Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 11
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein the open-circuit voltage OCVn comprises a pre-stored open-circuit voltage
of a second battery collected at the standing time of ti in the standing process that follows completion of the n-th charging process,
wherein the first battery and the second battery are different batteries in a same battery system.
Claim 12
The electronic apparatus according to claim 11,
wherein the voltage OCVn further comprises a pre-stored open-circuit voltage,
wherein the open-circuit voltage is an open-circuit voltage of a second battery collected at the standing time of ti in the standing process that follows completion of the n-th charging process,
wherein the first battery and the second battery are different batteries in a same battery system.
Claim 12
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein under the condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm,
in the (m+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the charging manner.
Claim 13
The electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the steps of:
under a condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm, in the (m+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner.
Claim 13
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:
in an (m+b)-th charging process,
charging the first battery to the first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner,
(NOTE: “charging manner” = “first charging manner” and/or “second charging manner”)
wherein b is a positive integer greater than 1;
after the (m+b)-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm+b of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm+b,
in an (m+b+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to a second charge cut-off voltage Um+b+1 in the charging manner,
(NOTE: “charging manner” = “first charging manner” and/or “second charging manner”)
wherein Um+b+1 = Um+1 + k × (OCVn − OCVm+b),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 14
The electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the steps of:
in an (m+b)-th charging process,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner and then continuing to charge the first battery to the first voltage Um+1 in the second charging manner,
where b is a positive integer greater than 1;
after the (m+b)-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm+b of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm+b,
in an (m+b+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the first voltage Un in the first charging manner and then continuing to charge the first battery to a second voltage Um+b+1 in the second charging manner,
where Um+b+1 = Um+1 + k × (OCVn − OCVm+b),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 14
The electronic apparatus according to claim 13,
wherein the method further comprises:
under a condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm+b, in the (m+b+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner.
(NOTE: “charging manner” = “first charging manner” and/or “second charging manner”)
Claim 15
The electronic apparatus according to claim 14, the processor is further configured to execute the steps of:
under a condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm+b, in the (m+b+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner and then charging the first battery to the first voltage Um+1 in the second charging manner.
Claim 15
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein Ucl ≤ Un ≤ Ucl + 500 mV,
wherein Ucl is a limited charge voltage of a battery system to which the first battery belongs.
Claim 16
The electronic apparatus according to claim 11,
wherein Ucl ≤ Un ≤ Ucl + 500 mV,
wherein Ucl is a limited charge voltage of a battery system to which the first battery belongs.
Claim 16
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein the charging manner comprises N charging stages in sequence,
wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1,
and in an N-th charging stage,
the first battery is charged constantly with the constant charge cut-off voltage.
Claim 17
The electronic apparatus according to claim 11,
wherein the first charging manner comprises N1 charging phases in sequence,
wherein N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, and in the N1-th charging phase,
the first battery is charged constantly with the charge cut-off voltage Un.
Claim 17
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein the charging manner further comprises M constant-current charging stages in sequence,
wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1,
and in the constant-current charging stages, after a voltage of the first battery reaches the charge cut-off voltage Un,
each of the subsequent constant-current charging stages is cut off by using the charge cut-off voltage Un.
Claim 19
The electronic apparatus according to claim 11,
wherein the first charging manner comprises M1 constant-current charging phases in sequence,
wherein M1 is a positive integer greater than 1,
after the first battery is charged to the charge cut-off voltage Un with a constant current,
each of the subsequent constant-current charging phase is cut off by using the charge cut-off voltage Un,
and the M1 constant-current charging phases are each defined as an i-th charging phase, with i = 1, 2, ..., M1,
wherein a charge current of an (i+1)-th charging phase is less than a charge current of the i-th charging phase.
Claim 18
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein the M constant-current charging stages are each defined as a k-th charging stages, with k=1, 2, ..., M,
wherein a charge current of the (k+1)-th charging stage is less than a charge current of the k-th charging stage.
Claims 1-2, 4, 6-11, 13, and 15-16 are rejected on the ground of provisional nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-5, 7, 9-13, and 15 of the copending application # 18/192,963 (claims filed 03/30/2023).
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the conflicting claims have not in fact been patented.
The following table compares the instant application and the copending application’s claims. The patentably indistinct claim language is identified with bold text.
Instant Application 18/192,069
Copending Application # 18/192,963
Claim 1
A charging method for battery, wherein the method comprises:
in an n-th charging process,
charging a first battery to a charge cut-off voltage Un in a charging manner,
wherein n is a positive integer greater than 0;
after the n-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVn of the first battery at a standing time of ti;
in an m-th charging process,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the charging manner,
wherein m is a positive integer, and m > n;
after the m-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm,
in an (m+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to a first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner,
wherein Um+1 = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 1
A charging method for battery, comprising:
in an n-th charging process,
charging a first battery to its charge cut-off voltage Un in a first charging manner,
wherein n is a positive integer greater than 0;
after the n-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVn of the first battery at a standing time of ti;
in an m-th charging process,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner,
wherein m is a positive integer, and m > n;
after the m-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm,
continuing to charge the first battery that has been standing in a second charging manner to a first voltage U′m,
wherein U′m = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 2
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the open-circuit voltage OCVn comprises a pre-stored open-circuit voltage
of a second battery collected at the standing time of ti
in the standing process that follows completion of the n-th charging process,
wherein the first battery and the second battery are different batteries in a same battery system.
Claim 2
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the open-circuit voltage OCVn further comprises a pre-stored open-circuit voltage
of a second battery collected at the standing time of ti
in the standing process that follows completion of the n-th charging process,
wherein the first battery and the second battery are different batteries in a same battery system.
Claim 4
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the method further comprises:
in an (m+b)-th charging process,
charging the first battery to the first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner,
wherein b is a positive integer greater than 1;
after the (m+b)-th charging process is completed, leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm+b of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm+b,
in an (m+b+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to a second charge cut-off voltage Um+b+1 in the charging manner,
wherein Um+b+1 = Um+1 + k × (OCVn − OCVm+b),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 3
The charging method according to claim 1, further comprising:
in an (m+b)-th charging process,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner,
wherein b is a positive integer greater than 1;
after the (m+b)-th charging process is completed, leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm+b of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm+b,
continuing to charge the first battery that has been standing in the second charging manner to a second voltage Um+b,
wherein Um+b = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm+b),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 6
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein Ucl ≤ Un ≤ Ucl + 500 mV,
wherein Ucl is a limited charge voltage of a battery system to which the first battery belongs.
Claim 4
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein Ucl ≤ Un ≤ Uc1 + 500 mV,
wherein Ucl is a limited charge voltage of a battery system to which the first battery belongs.
Claim 7
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the charging manner comprises N charging stages in sequence,
wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1,
and in the N-th charging stage,
the first battery is charged constantly with a constant charge cut-off voltage.
Claim 5
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the first charging manner comprises N1 charging stages in sequence,
wherein N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1,
and in the N1-th charging stage,
the first battery is charged constantly with the charge cut-off voltage Un.
Claim 8
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the charging manner further comprises M constant-current charging stages in sequence,
wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1,
and in the constant-current charging stages, after a voltage of the first battery reaches the charge cut-off voltage Un, each of the subsequent constant-current charging stages is cut off by using the charge cut-off voltage Un.
Claim 8
The charging method according to claim 1,
wherein the first charging manner further comprises M1 constant-current charging stages in sequence, wherein M1 is a positive integer greater than 1,
after the first battery is charged to the charge cut-off voltage Un with a constant current, each of the subsequent constant-current charging stages is cut off by using the charge cut-off voltage Un;
and the M1 constant-current charging stages are each defined as an i-th charging stage,
with i=1, 2, ..., M1,
wherein a charge current in an (i+1)-th charging stage is less than a charge current in the i-th charging stage.
Claim 9
The charging method according to claim 8,
wherein the M constant-current charging stages are each defined as a k-th charging stages,
with k=1, 2, . . . , M,
wherein a charge current of the (k+1)-th charging stage is less than a charge current of the k-th charging stage.
Claim 10
An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a battery;
and a processor, configured to execute a charging method for battery, wherein the method comprises:
in an n-th charging process,
charging a first battery to a charge cut-off voltage Un in a charging manner,
wherein n is a positive integer greater than 0;
after the n-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVn of the first battery at a standing time of ti;
in an m-th charging process,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the charging manner,
wherein m is a positive integer, and m > n;
after the m-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm,
in an (m+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes,
charging the first battery to a first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner,
wherein Um+1 = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 9
An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a battery;
and a processor configured to the steps of:
in an n-th charging process,
charging a first battery to its charge cut-off voltage Un in a first charging manner,
wherein n is a positive integer greater than 0;
after the n-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVn of the first battery at a standing time of ti;
in an m-th charging process,
charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner,
wherein m is a positive integer, and m > n;
after the m-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm,
continuing to charge the first battery that has been standing in a second charging manner to a first voltage U′m,
wherein U′m = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 11
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein the open-circuit voltage OCVn comprises a pre-stored open-circuit voltage of a second battery collected at the standing time of ti in the standing process that follows completion of the n-th charging process,
wherein the first battery and the second battery are different batteries in a same battery system.
Claim 10
The electronic apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein the voltage OCVn further comprises a pre-stored open-circuit voltage of a second battery collected at the standing time of ti in the standing process that follows completion of the n-th charging process,
wherein the first battery and the second battery are different batteries in a same battery system.
Claim 13
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein the method further comprises:
in an (m+b)-th charging process, charging the first battery to the first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner,
wherein b is a positive integer greater than 1;
after the (m+b)-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm+b of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm+b,
in an (m+b+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes, charging the first battery to a second charge cut-off voltage Um+b+1 in the charging manner,
wherein Um+b+1 = Um+1 + k × (OCVn − OCVm+b),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 11
The electronic apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein the processor is further configured to execute the steps of:
in an (m+b)-th charging process, charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the first charging manner,
wherein b is a positive integer greater than 1;
after the (m+b)-th charging process is completed,
leaving the first battery standing,
and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm+b of the first battery at the standing time of ti;
and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm+b,
continuing to charge the first battery that has been standing in the second charging manner to a second voltage Um+b,
wherein Um+b = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm+b),
and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Claim 15
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein Ucl ≤ Un ≤ Ucl + 500 mV,
wherein Ucl is a limited charge voltage of a battery system to which the first battery belongs.
Claim 12
The electronic apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein Ucl ≤ Un ≤ Ucl + 500 mV,
wherein Ucl is a limited charge voltage of a battery system to which the first battery belongs.
Claim 16
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein the charging manner comprises N charging stages in sequence,
wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1,
and in an N-th charging stage,
the first battery is charged constantly with the constant charge cut-off voltage.
Claim 13
The electronic apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein the first charging manner comprises N1 charging stages in sequence,
wherein N1 is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1,
and in the N1-th charging stage,
the first battery is charged constantly with the charge cut-off voltage Un.
Claim 17
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein the charging manner further comprises M constant-current charging stages in sequence,
wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1,
and in the constant-current charging stages,
after a voltage of the first battery reaches the charge cut-off voltage Un, each of the subsequent constant-current charging stages is cut off by using the charge cut-off voltage Un.
Claim 15
The electronic apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein the first charging manner further comprises M1 constant-current charging stages in sequence,
wherein M1 is a positive integer greater than 1,
after the first battery is charged to the charge cut-off voltage Un with a constant current, each of the subsequent constant-current charging stages is cut off by using the charge cut-off voltage Un;
and the M1 constant-current charging stages are each defined as an i-th charging stage,
with i=1, 2, ..., M1,
wherein a charge current in an (i+1)-th charging stage is less than a charge current in the i-th charging stage.
Claim 18
The electronic apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein the M constant-current charging stages are each defined as a k-th charging stages,
with k = 1, 2, ..., M,
wherein a charge current of the (k+1)-th charging stage is less than a charge current of the k-th charging stage.
Claims 3, 5, 12, and 14 are rejected on the ground of provisional nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 3, 9, and 11 of the copending application # 18/192,963 (claims filed 03/30/2023), in view of Xie et al. (CN 111384757 A).
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the conflicting claims have not in fact been patented.
Regarding claims 3 and 12, the copending application does not claim that “under a/the condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm, in the (m+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes, charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the charging manner.”
Xie teaches (see detailed claim item mapping in the prior art rejection, included infra) under a/the condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm, in the (m+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes, charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the charging manner.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the charging method claimed by the copending application to charge to Un in the (m+1)-th and subsequent charging processes when OCVn ≤ OCVm (i.e., when not aged), as taught by Xie, because the aging degree of the battery is relatively mild (Xie ¶ [53]) and thus the simpler charging process can be performed without adjustment.
Regarding claims 5 and 14, the copending application does not claim that “the method further comprises: under a condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm+b, in the (m+b+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes, charging the first battery to the first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner.”
Xie teaches (see detailed claim item mapping in the prior art rejection, included infra) the method further comprises: under a condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm+b, in the (m+b+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes, charging the first battery to the first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the charging method claimed by the copending application to charge to Un in the (m+b+1)-th and subsequent charging processes when OCVn ≤ OCVm+b (i.e., when not aged), as taught by Xie, because the aging degree of the battery is relatively mild (Xie ¶ [53]) and thus the simpler charging process can be performed without adjustment.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5 and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xie et al. (CN 111384757 A).
Regarding Claim 1, Xie discloses a charging method (Fig. 3; title: “charging method”) for battery (¶ [4]: “electronic devices are equipped with batteries”), wherein the method comprises the following.
Xie further discloses in an n-th charging process (Fig. 3, step 301; ¶ [51-54]), charging a first battery (Fig. 3 method applied to “the battery”) to a charge cut-off voltage Un (¶ [51]: “preset constant current charging cutoff voltage”) in a charging manner (¶ [54]: “charge the battery with a preset constant current”), wherein n is a positive integer greater than 0 (Fig. 3, step 301 is a charging step performed “when the aging degree of the battery is less than the aging degree threshold”, per ¶ [51]).
Xie further discloses (standing & measuring OCVn process performed during step 301, as described in ¶ [56-59]) after the n-th charging process is completed (¶ [54]: “After the charging is completed, …), leaving the first battery standing (¶ [56]: “resting state”; ¶ [59]: “static state”; ¶ [80-82]), and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVn of the first battery (¶ [54]: “… the electronic device can obtain the open circuit voltage of the battery … referred to as the first open circuit voltage”) at a standing time of ti (per ¶ [59], measuring process starts at the “target duration threshold”).
Xie further discloses in an m-th charging process (Fig. 3, step 302; ¶ [60]), charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un (“preset constant current charging cut-off voltage”) in the charging manner (¶ [60]: “the electronic device performs constant current and constant current charging on the battery according the preset constant current charging cut-off voltage”), wherein m is a positive integer, and m > n (Fig. 3, step 302 occurs after step 301 because the battery is more aged in step 302).
Xie further discloses (standing & measuring OCVm process performed during step 302, as described ¶ [60-63]) after the m-th charging process is completed (¶ [62]: “After the charging is completed, …”), leaving the first battery standing (per process for measuring “open circuit voltage” described prior, the battery is left in the “resting/static state”), and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm of the first battery (¶ [62]: “the electronic device can also obtain the open circuit voltage … referred to as the second open circuit voltage”) at the standing time of ti (per process for measuring “open circuit voltage” described prior, the measurement starts at the “target duration threshold”).
Xie further discloses under a condition of OCVn > OCVm (OCVn = “first open circuit voltage”; OCVm = “second open circuit voltage”, measured after battery is more aged; ¶ [65]: “for an aged battery, … its open circuit voltage is reduced compared to when it is not aged”; ¶ [34]), in an (m+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes (all charging processes performed after the “adjusted constant current charge cut-off voltage” is determined in step 303), charging the first battery to a first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner (¶ [68]: “when the battery aging parameters are obtained through the technical processes of steps 301 to 303, the electronic device can adjust the preset constant current charging cutoff voltage”; ¶ [88]: “perform constant current and constant voltage charging on the battery according to the adjusted constant current charging cutoff voltage”).
Xie further discloses Um+1 = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm), and 0 < k ≤ 1 (see Examiner Table 1, included infra).
Examiner Table 1
Mapping of Xie with respect to claimed formula: Um+1 = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm), 0 < k ≤ 1
Claim term
Xie’s equivalent
Um+1
“adjusted constant current charging cut-off voltage”
Un
“preset constant current charging cut-off voltage”
OCVn
“first open circuit voltage”
OCVm
“second open circuit voltage”
(OCVn − OCVm)
“battery aging parameter”
¶ [64]: “uses the difference between the first open-circuit voltage and the second open-circuit voltage as a battery aging parameter”
k, 0 < k ≤ 1
Xie uses a value of k = 1 (i.e., no scaling of the “battery aging parameter” is performed), per the following excerpt of ¶ [69]
Um+1 = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm)
for k =1, simplifies to:
Um+1 = Un + (OCVn − OCVm)
¶ [69]: “adds the battery aging parameters to the preset constant current charging cut-off voltage and uses the result as the adjusted constant current charging cut-off voltage”
Regarding Claim 10, Xie discloses an electronic apparatus (¶ [4]: “electronic devices such as smart phones”), comprising a battery (¶ [4]: “electronic devices are equipped with batteries”) and a processor (¶ [15]: “a computer program that, when executed by the processor, implements the charging method”), configured to execute a charging method for battery (title: “charging method”; Fig. 3).
Xie further discloses (see detailed claim item mapping for the charging method in the 35 U.S.C. 102 rejection of claim 1, included supra) the method comprises: in an n-th charging process, charging a first battery to a charge cut-off voltage Un in a charging manner, wherein n is a positive integer greater than 0; after the n-th charging process is completed, leaving the first battery standing, and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVn, of the first battery at a standing time of ti; in an m-th charging process, charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un in the charging manner, wherein m is a positive integer, and m > n; after the m-th charging process is completed, leaving the first battery standing, and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm of the first battery at the standing time of ti; and under a condition of OCVn > OCVm, in an (m+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes, charging the first battery to a first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner, wherein Um+1 = Un + k × (OCVn − OCVm), and 0 < k ≤ 1.
Regarding Claims 2 and 11, Xie discloses the charging method according to claim 1 (i.e., for claim 2), as well as the electronic apparatus according to claim 10 (i.e., for claim 11).
Xie further discloses the open-circuit voltage OCVn, comprises a pre-stored open-circuit voltage (¶ [84]: “use the updated battery aging parameter to replace the battery aging parameter stored locally in the electronic device”; thus, the original “battery aging parameter” is pre-stored) of a second battery collected at the standing time of ti in the standing process that follows completion of the n-th charging process, wherein the first battery and the second battery are different batteries in a same battery system (This is interpreted to mean that the stored value of the cut-off voltage is from testing a different battery than the battery in the electronic device. The examiner explains that this is inherent as the manufacturer develops a threshold value from testing the type of battery and not by testing every single battery that is shipped and finding its cut-off voltage threshold in order to reduce costs because otherwise every single battery has to be tested to establish the cut-off voltage, and every single processor will have to be programmed with that cut-off voltage. Instead, an average cut-off voltage is established based on the testing of the type of battery and programmed to the plurality of electronic devices).
Regarding Claims 3 and 12, Xie discloses the charging method according to claim 1 (i.e., for claim 3), as well as the electronic apparatus according to claim 10 (i.e., for claim 12).
Xie further discloses under a/the condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm (i.e., when the battery has not yet aged to the “aging degree threshold”; per ¶ [34, 65], the OCV declines with age; thus, OCVm would not be less than OCVn when the battery has not aged), in the (m+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes (any charging session wherein the battery has not yet aged to the “aging degree threshold” per ¶ [51]), charging the first battery to the charge cut-off voltage Un (“preset constant current charging cut-off voltage”) in the charging manner (Fig. 3, step 301; ¶ [54]: “charge the battery with a preset constant current”).
Regarding Claims 4 and 13, Xie discloses the charging method according to claim 1 (i.e., for claim 4), as well as the electronic apparatus according to claim 10 (i.e., for claim 13).
Xie further discloses the method (Fig. 3; “charging method”) further comprises the following.
Xie further discloses in an (m+b)-th charging process, charging the first battery to the first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 (“adjusted constant current charging cutoff voltage”) in the charging manner, wherein b is a positive integer greater than 1 (per ¶ [10, 14, 18, 38, 65, 69], when battery is aged beyond the “aging level threshold”, the battery is charged to the “adjusted constant current charging cutoff voltage”, i.e. Um+1).
Xie further discloses after the (m+b)-th charging process is completed, leaving the first battery standing (“static state”), and obtaining an open-circuit voltage OCVm+b (¶ [63]: “periodically execute … charging the battery … and obtaining a second open-circuit voltage”; ¶ [66]: “most recently obtained second open circuit voltage”) of the first battery at the standing time of ti (¶ [59]: “target duration threshold”).
Xie further discloses under a condition of OCVn > OCVm+b (i.e., battery has aged, resulting in decreased OCV) in an (m+b+1)-th charging process and subsequent charging processes, charging the first battery to a second charge cut-off voltage Um+b+1 in the charging manner (charging is periodically performed to the cutoff value that is repeatedly updated for an aged battery based on the “most recently obtained second open circuit value”, per ¶ [63, 66]).
Xie further discloses Um+b+1 = Um+1 + k × (OCVn − OCVm+b), and 0 < k ≤ 1 (see Examiner Table 2, included infra).
Examiner Table 2
Mapping of Xie with respect to claimed formula: Um+b+1 = Um+1 + k × (OCVn − OCVm+b), 0 < k ≤ 1
Claim term
Xie’s equivalent
Um+b+1
“adjusted constant current charging cut-off voltage” (for next execution of charging process; value is repeatedly updated per ¶ [66]: “use the updated battery aging parameter to replace the battery aging parameter stored locally”)
Um+1
“adjusted constant current charging cut-off voltage” (from previous execution of charging process)
OCVn
“first open circuit voltage”
OCVm+b
¶ [63, 66]: “most recently obtained second open circuit voltage”
(OCVn − OCVm+b)
“updated battery aging parameter”
¶ [66]: “use the difference between the first open circuit voltage and the most recently obtained second open circuit voltage as the updated battery aging parameter”
k, 0 < k ≤ 1
Xie uses a value of k = 1 (i.e., no scaling of the “battery aging parameter” is performed), per ¶ [69]
Um+b+1 = Um+1 + k×(OCVn−OCVm+b)
for k =1, simplifies to:
Um+b+1 = Um+1 + (OCVn − OCVm+b)
¶ [63-69], value for “adjusted constant current charging cut-off voltage” is periodically updated using the same calculations with the most recently measured second OCV value
Regarding Claims 5 and 14, Xie discloses the charging method according to claim 4 (i.e., for claim 5), as well as the electronic apparatus according to claim 13 (i.e., for claim 14).
Xie further discloses the method further comprises: under the condition of OCVn ≤ OCVm+b (i.e., when the battery has not aged to the “aging degree threshold”; ¶ [34, 65]), in the (m+b+1)-th charging process and the subsequent charging processes, charging the first battery to the first charge cut-off voltage Um+1 in the charging manner (because battery is not aged to the “aging degree threshold”, no update is made to the “battery aging parameter” of the “charging cutoff voltage”; thus the battery is charged to the previously stored value of the “adjusted constant current charging cut-off voltage”).
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 6 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xie et al. (CN 111384757 A).
Regarding Claims 6 and 15, Xie discloses the charging method according to claim 1 (i.e., for claim 6), as well as the electronic apparatus according to claim 10 (i.e., for claim 15).
Xie does not disclose “Ucl ≤ Un ≤ Ucl + 500 mV, wherein Ucl is a limited charge voltage of a battery system to which the first battery belongs.”
However, the examiner interprets the limitation to mean that voltage includes a tolerance value, the examiner explains that a cut-off voltage is normally established by testing a battery to determine the constant current cut-off voltage for the battery and that adding a tolerance value is well known in the art.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention disclosed by Xing to add a tolerance value to the charge cut-off voltage Un (¶ [51]: “preset constant current charging cut-off voltage”) to account for differences between the batteries because it is well known in the art that batteries have manufacturing differences which cause them to have different cut-off voltages. Thus, this modification would further be advantageous by enabling the charging method to reliably perform for a higher percentage of the manufactured batteries.
Claims 7-9 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xie et al. (CN 111384757 A) in view of Chen (US 2022/0271353 A1).
Regarding Claims 7-9 and 16-18, Xie discloses the charging method according to claim 1 (i.e., for claims 7-9), as well as the electronic apparatus according to claim 10 (i.e., for claims 16-18).
Xie discloses the charging manner wherein the first battery is charged with a constant current until a preset cut-off voltage is reached, after which the first battery is charged constantly with a constant charge cut-off voltage (¶ [66]).
Regarding claim 7, Xie does not disclose “the charging manner comprises N charging stages in sequence, wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1, and in the N-th charging stage, the first battery is charged constantly with a constant charge cut-off voltage.”
Regarding claim 8, Xie does not disclose “the charging manner further comprises M constant-current charging stages in sequence, wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1, and in the constant-current charging stages, after a voltage of the first battery reaches the charge cut-off voltage Un, each of the subsequent constant-current charging stages is cut off by using the charge cut-off voltage Un.”
Regarding claim 9, Xie does not disclose “the M constant-current charging stages are each defined as a k-th charging stages, with k=1, 2, ..., M, wherein a charge current of the (k+1)-th charging stage is less than a charge current of the k-th charging stage.”
Chen teaches the charging manner comprises N charging stages in sequence (annotated Fig. 1, included infra, illustrates “n” charging stages in sequence), wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1 (Fig. 1 shows “n” is greater than 1).
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Chen further teaches that in the N-th charging stage (“Tn” in Fig. 1), the first battery (“battery 21”; Figs. 5-7) is charged constantly with a constant charge cut-off voltage (¶ [35]: “Tn is the constant voltage charging stage”).
Chen teaches the charging manner (Fig. 1) further comprises M constant-current charging stages in sequence (“T1 … Tn-1” in Fig. 1; ¶ [35]: “the constant current charging stage includes n-1 constant current sub-stages”), wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1 (Fig. 1 shows “n-1” is greater than 1).
Chen further teaches that in the constant-current charging stages (T1 … Tn-1), after a voltage of the first battery reaches the charge cut-off voltage Un, each of the subsequent constant-current charging stages is cut off by using the charge cut-off voltage Un (the value of the charging duration is measured to determine when it is shorter than a threshold, i.e. battery deterioration is present and adjusting the cut-off voltage when the duration is less than a threshold, i.e. the battery is deteriorated/aged).
Chen further teaches the M constant-current charging stages (T1 … Tn-1) are each defined as a k-th charging stages, with k=1, 2, ..., M (k=1 corresponds to “T1”; k=M corresponds to “Tn-1”; Fig. 1).
Chen further teaches a charge current of the (k+1)-th charging stage is less than a charge current of the k-th charging stage (Fig. 1 shows the values of the constant currents “I1 … In-1” decrease as the charging stages progress from “T1” to “Tn-1”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the charging manner disclosed by Xie to comprise N charging stages in sequence, ending with a constant charging at a constant charge cut-off voltage, as taught by Chen, to reduce the overall charging time (Chen ¶ [52]) by keeping the electronic device in constant current charging for a longer period to account for battery deterioration (Chen ¶ [8-10, 37])
Conclusion
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/DANIEL P MCFARLAND/ Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/DREW A DUNN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859