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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119
(a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/11/2023, 1/30/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary amendment to the claims and specification received on 4/11/2023 is acceptable and made of record in accordance with MPEP 714.01 (e). Applicant’s statement of “no new matter entered” is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by
Nakano et al. US 20150369873.
Regarding claims 1, 7, 8 [claim 1 is considered representative for purposes of itemization], Nakano discloses a power storage apparatus comprising:
a power storage module [Figs. 2 and 3 see reproduced, 112] including a plurality of batteries [111] connected to each other [par. 0042];
a temperature acquirer [125] that acquires a temperature of the power storage module [par. 0043];
a state-of-charge calculator [Fig. 3, 151] that calculates a state of charge of the power storage module [pars. 0045-0046]; and
a charge controller [123] that charges the power storage module with a current value that is set based on the acquired temperature and the calculated state of charge [par. 0058, 0066. See also: pars. 0038, 0040, 0046, 0047].
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Regarding claim 4, Nakano discloses the power storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charge controller sets the current value to a certain value that is not dependent on the calculated state of charge if the acquired temperature is higher than a predetermined threshold value [par. 0072].
Regarding claim 5, Nakano discloses the power storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage that stores a current value setting table that defines relationship between the temperature and the state of charge, and the current value, wherein the charge controller sets the current value using the current value setting table acquired from the storage [pars. 0058, 0066].
Regarding claim 6, Nakano discloses the power storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a state-of-health calculator that calculates a state of health of the power storage module, wherein the charge controller charges the power storage module with a current value that is set based on the acquired temperature, the calculated state of charge, and the calculated state of health [pars. 0047 0067].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 3 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:
The prior art does not disclose or suggest, “2. The power storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charge controller classifies the calculated state of charge into one of a plurality of groups and sets the current value in accordance with the classified group, and wherein, when a first group and a second group having a higher state of charge are set for the state of charge and the first group and the second group are classified into a same group of the acquired temperature, the charge controller sets a second current value corresponding to the second group to a value lower than or equal to a first current value corresponding to the first group.”
The prior art does not disclose or suggest, “3. The power storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charge controller classifies the acquitted temperature into one of a plurality of groups and sets the current value in accordance with the classified group, and wherein, when a third group and a fourth group having a lower temperature are set for the temperature and the third group and the fourth group are classified into a same group of the calculated state of charge, the charge controller sets a fourth current value corresponding to the fourth group to a value lower than or equal to a third current value corresponding to the third group.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20140139189 discloses a system has a power storage device which is charged and discharged. A controller (300) is configured to calculate open-circuit voltage of power storage device. The controller is configured to specify state of charge (SOC) related to calculated open-circuit voltage. The controller is provided to calculate full charge capacity of power storage device based on SOC and integrated value. The SOC is specified with respect to the periods during charge and discharge, and integrated value is value of charge and discharge current of power storage device from one period to another period.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD V MURALIDAR whose telephone number is (571)272- 8933. The examiner can normally be reached M - W 9:30 am to 6:30 PM.
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unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be contacted 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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RICHARD V. MURALIDAR
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2859
/RICHARD V MURALIDAR/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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