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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of the Species of Figure 5 in the reply filed on 07/30/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that amended claim 17 now is shown in Figure 15 and directed to the Species of Figure 5. This argument is persuasive and claims 17-20 will be examined.
The requirement is therefore deemed proper and is made FINAL.
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 shaped waveform comprising a non-linear leading edge and a body portion comprising a first non-sinusoidal charge current following the non-linear leading edge of claim 3 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.
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.
Claim 19 is 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.
Claim 19 introduces the limitations of “the power supply further comprises a power factor correcting circuit … and a boost converter circuit”, after previously reciting the power supply comprises a “booster circuit”, therefore a power supply comprising two separate boost circuits, a “booster circuit” and a “boost converter circuit” is claimed. However, the Specification lacks support for this embodiment since the power supply is described as having a single boost converter circuit (PGPUB ¶0035: the power supply of charging circuit 500 comprises an AC/DC converter 154 and a boost converter 156, with a PFC/storage capacitor 402).
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.
Claim 19 is 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 19 recites the limitation “a boost converter circuit” while claim 17 recites the limitation “a booster circuit”. A booster circuit would be widely recognized as a converter to a person having ordinary skill in the art, and so it is unclear if the recitation in claim 19 is intended to refer back to the booster circuit of claim 17 or introduce a new, second boost converter circuit. For the purpose of this examination, examiner interprets this to read as “the booster circuit further comprises a power factor correcting circuit … and a boost converter circuit”.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 10, & 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Awane et al. (USPGPN 2012/0106218).
Regarding Claim 1, Awane (Figs. 1 & 2) teaches a system for charging a battery (6) comprising:
a power supply circuit (1, 12, & 14) comprising a converter (12) portion receiving a power signal (1), the power supply circuit further comprising a voltage booster portion (14);
a storage capacitor (22) in operable communication with an output of the booster portion of the power supply circuit, the storage capacitor and power supply circuit correcting for a power factor loss of the power signal during charging of an electrochemical device (6) (¶0032: AC/DC converter section, including inverter 14 and capacitor 22 is controlled to improve the power factor); and
a combined direct current/direct current (DC/DC) converter (23-25) and charge waveform shaping circuit (5 controls the DC/DC converter through switch 23) to alter a DC signal from the booster portion to a shaped charge waveform for charging the electrochemical device (¶0061: switch 23 is PWM-controlled to control the output voltage of the DC/DC converter to thereby adjust the output current into the battery).
Regarding Claim 2, Awane (Fig.2) further teaches wherein the power signal is an alternating current (AC) power signal (1) and the converter portion of the power supply circuit converts the power signal from the AC power signal to a direct current (DC) power signal (10 is AC/DC conversion section) and wherein the voltage booster portion increases a magnitude of the DC power signal (Fig.7; ¶0066: Vin is the voltage rectified by diode bridge 12, ¶0072: Vdc is voltage at smoothing capacitor 22, ¶0083: ¶inverter 14 generates a voltage equal to the difference between the target DC voltage and the Vin, or said differently, increases the magnitude of the Vin).
Regarding Claim 4, Awane (Figs. 1 & 2) further teaches wherein the combined DC/DC converter and charge waveform shaping circuit comprises:
a transformer (24) in operable communication with the power supply circuit to receive the power signal;
a switch (23) in operable communication with the transformer; and
a processor (5) in communication with the switch and configured to execute instructions to control the switch to generate a sequence of pulses at the transformer to produce the shaped charge waveform (¶0061: switch 23 is PWM-controlled to control the output voltage of the DC/DC converter to thereby adjust the output current into the battery).
Regarding Claim 5, Awane further teaches wherein the storage capacitor provides stored energy to the combined DC/DC converter and charge waveform shaping circuit in addition to correcting for the power loss factor (¶0032: AC/DC converter section, including inverter 14 and capacitor 22 is controlled to improve the power factor; Fig.8: energy stored in capacitor 22 would be discharged to 24).
Regarding Claim 6, Awane further teaches wherein the processor is in communication with a model of the transformer and further configured to control the switch responsive to running the model (Fig.6; ¶0062: control section 5 uses the control block diagram in Fig.6 to control converter switch 23 and subsequently transformer 24; ¶0063: based on a winding ratio of the transformer).
Regarding Claim 8, Awane (Fig.2) further teaches wherein the combined DC/DC converter and charge waveform shaping circuit comprises a flyback circuit (23 & 24).
Regarding Claim 10, Awane (Fig.2) further teaches a diode (25; ¶0042: rectified diode) in operable communication with an output of the transformer to provide the shaped charge waveform as a DC signal.
Regarding Claim 17, Awane (Figs. 1 & 2) teaches a charging circuit comprising:
a power supply (1, 12, & 14) comprising a booster circuit (14) and converting an alternating current (AC) power signal to a direct current (DC) input signal;
a transformer (24) comprising a first end in electrical communication with the power supply and receiving the DC input signal;
a switch (23) in electrical communication with a second end of the transformer; and
a processor (5) executing instructions to control the switch to pull the DC input signal through the transformer, wherein an output of the transformer provides a shaped charge waveform to charge an electrochemical device (6) based on the control of the switch (¶0061: switch 23 is PWM-controlled to control the output voltage of the DC/DC converter to thereby adjust the output current into the battery).
Regarding Claim 18, Awane further teaches wherein executing the instructions causes the processor to transmit a sequence of pulse width modulated signals to the switch to alternately open and close the switch to transmit the DC input signal to the transformer to produce the shaped charge waveform output from the transformer (¶0061: switch 23 is PWM-controlled to control the output voltage of the DC/DC converter to thereby adjust the output current into the battery).
Regarding Claim 19, Awane (Fig.2) further teaches wherein the booster circuit further comprises a power factor correcting circuit (¶0032: AC/DC converter section, including capacitor 22 is controlled to improve the power factor) comprising a storage capacitor (22) and a boost converter circuit (14) to increase a voltage of the DC input signal (Fig.7; ¶0066: Vin is the voltage rectified by diode bridge 12, ¶0072: Vdc is voltage at smoothing capacitor 22, ¶0083: ¶inverter 14 generates a voltage equal to the difference between the target DC voltage and the Vin, or said differently, increases the magnitude of the Vin).
Regarding Claim 20, Awane (Fig.2) further teaches wherein the switch comprises a transistor (23 is a MOSFET as shown) comprising a first interface connected to the processor (from control section 5) to receive control signals from the processor and a second interface (connection to transformer) connected to the transformer, wherein the control signals comprise a pulse-width modulated signal that generates a sequence of pulses at the transformer via the transistor (¶0061: switch 23 is PWM-controlled to control the output voltage of the DC/DC converter to thereby adjust the output current into the battery).
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) 3 & 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Awane, in view of Xue et al. (USPGPN 2016/0172877).
Regarding Claim 3, Awane fails to explicitly teach wherein the shaped charge waveform comprises a non-linear leading edge and a body portion comprising a first non-sinusoidal charge current following the non-linear leading edge.
However, Xue teaches a system which generates a shaped charge waveform (Fig.4B) comprising a non-linear leading edge (Io leading to the plateau at Ioh) and a body portion comprising a first non-sinusoidal charge current following the non-linear leading edge (plateaued Io following the leading edge).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system taught by Awane with Xue to include a shaped charge waveform comprising a non-linear leading edge and a body portion comprising a first non-sinusoidal charge current following the non-linear leading edge. Doing so allows the system to achieve better trade-off between DC link energy storage requirements and converter efficiency, as evidenced by Xue (¶0011).
Regarding Claim 7, Awane, as modified, fails to explicitly teach wherein the combined DC/DC converter and charge waveform shaping circuit comprises a buck circuit and converting the DC signal to the shaped charge waveform comprises decreasing a voltage of the DC signal.
However, Xue further teaches the combined DC/DC converter and charge waveform shaping circuit comprises a buck circuit (Pg.5, Table 1: Transformer turns ratio 1.1:1) and converting the DC signal to the shaped charge waveform comprises decreasing a voltage of the DC signal (Pg.5, Table 1: DC link voltage 400V to Battery voltage 330V).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further modified the system taught by Awane, in view of Xue, with Xue to use a DC/DC converter and charge waveform shaping circuit comprising a buck circuit for decreasing a voltage of the DC signal. Doing so allows the battery to be provided with an appropriate voltage for efficient charging.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Awane, in view of NPL Tech Web “Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits” (published 2016; hereinafter referred to as Tech Web).
Regarding Claim 9, Awane (Fig.2) further teaches a capacitor in operable communication with an output of the combined DC/DC converter and charge waveform shaping circuit.
Awane fails to explicitly teach the capacitor as a filter removing noise components of the shaped charge waveform.
However, Tech Web (Pg.3) teaches a capacitor (C7) as a filter in operable communication with an output of a DC/DC converter (T1) to remove noise components of the shaped charge waveform (Pg.3, Para.3: smooth ripples in the rectified voltage).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system taught by Awane with Tech Web to use the capacitor as a filter to remove noise components of the shaped charge waveform. Doing so smooths ripples in the rectified voltage and maintains stability during transient increases in the load current, as evidenced by Tech Web (Pg.3, Para.3).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ghanatous et al. (USPGPN 2019/0072618) teaches a charging system using a battery model with a shaped charge waveform.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN P ONDRASIK whose telephone number is (703)756-1963. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached at (571) 272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOHN P ONDRASIK/Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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