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 .
Response to Arguments
The amendment filed on 5/11/26 obviates the art rejections of 5/11/26. No new art rejections are presented though relevant prior art is included herewith. A new USC 112 rejection and drawing objection are appropriate, however.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 6, the LFP batteries 102A are connected to a converter 111 which is connected to a PCS 10 and ternary batteries 102B are connected to a converter 111 which is connected to a PCS 10. Claim 1, however, recites “a first battery unit including an LFP battery and a first DC converter configured to increase or decrease DC power between the LFP battery and a power conditioning system” in lines 7-8 and then states “a second battery unit including a ternary battery and a second DC converter configured to increase or decrease DC power between the LFP battery and the power conditioning system” (emphasis added) in lines 10-12. The second DC converter is part of the second battery unit and thus would increase or decrease DC power between the ternary battery and the power conditioning system based on the instant specification. Claims 2-8 depend on claim 1. It should be noted that claimed these features now invokes an objection to the drawings.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “111” has been used to designate both the first DC converter and the second DC converter as now claimed. 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. 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. Further, the specification should be amended to include any new reference characters utilized in the new drawings.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Choi (US 2021/0011089 A1), Mukaitani (US 2017/0350946 A1), Tohara (US 2017/0033410 A1), and Hatta (US 2014/0162091 A1) all disclose Power Conditioning Systems and DC converters but none disclose the use of LFP and ternary batteries nor do they disclose motivation to modify Ishibashi to have the control scheme claimed.
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 IMRAN AKRAM whose telephone number is (571)270-3241. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5p.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Basia Ridley can be reached at 571-272-1453. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/IMRAN AKRAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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