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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Specification (with 29 pages), in page 3, lines 2 and 4, replace “objects” with --objectives--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Asakawa et al., US Pub. 2021/0328278.
Regarding claim 1, Asakawa teaches a battery pressure measuring sensor (see at least paragraphs 0035-0038, 0054-0055, 0101-0105, and figs. 2, 3, 9, 10), comprising:
a substrate (10) configured to be placed on a battery;
a plurality of variable resistor units respectively (50; see fig. 9) provided at a plurality of locations on the substrate and configured to respectively change a resistance value within a corresponding resistance range according to a pressure applied to each variable resistor unit (see paragraphs 0054-0055 and 0101); and
a plurality of sensing lines (“lead wire” for external connection; see paragraph 0050) configured to be connected to the plurality of variable resistor units, respectively.
Regarding claims 2 and 3, Asakawa teaches the battery pressure measuring sensor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of variable resistor units are provided at a first location where a swelling risk occurs in the battery is relatively low and at a second location where the risk is relatively high. The first location being within a center portion of the substrate and the second location being a peripheral portion of the substrate (Asakawa teaches the central location [high risk] of the battery expands more than the end portions [low risk]. That two or more strain gauges are placed at the high and low risk areas of the battery. See at least paragraphs 0160-0170.).
Regarding claim 14, Asakawa teaches a battery pack (see paragraph 0163).
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 9-11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asakawa in view of Park et al., KR1020170042082 (Applicant filed with translation).
Regarding claim 9, Asakawa teaches the battery pressure measuring apparatus (see fig. 7), comprising:
the battery pressure measuring sensor (see discussion for claim 1);
an upper plate (upper housing plate 2B) and a lower plate (lower housing plate 2A) configured such that the battery (3) is interposed therebetween (see at least fig. 6); and wherein the battery pressure measuring sensor (6) being configured to be located on at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the battery.
Asakawa teaches the claimed invention except for a fixing unit configured to fix the upper plate and the lower plate.
Park teaches the use of a fixing unit (fastening member 5; see fig. 1) for the purpose of fastening two plates together for the pressure measuring device.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to combine the teachings of Park with Asakawa, since the fixing unit taught by Park provides increase fastening strength to the pressure measurement device of Asakawa.
Regarding claim 10, Asakawa teaches the battery pressure measuring apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:
a control unit (wiring connects to a circuit board 4 and to c command controller 8; see paragraphs 0089, 0093-0094, 0116) connected to the plurality of sensing lines to measure a resistance value of each of the plurality of variable resistor units and configured to judge a swelling state of the battery based on the resistance values.
Regarding claim 11, Asakawa teaches the battery pressure measuring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to detect a location where the swelling occurs in the battery based on the plurality of measured resistance values (see paragraphs 0104-0105).
Regarding claim 13, Asakawa teaches the claimed invention except for a protection plate provided between the battery pressure measuring sensor and the battery and configured to be fixed together with the upper plate and the lower plate through the fixing unit.
Park teaches the use of a protection plate (2) placed between the battery (10) and the pressure sensor (6) for the purpose of providing a rigid structure for the pressure sensor device (see paragraph 0027) to prevent bending during the pressure measuring process.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to combine the teachings of Park with Asakawa, since the protection plate taught by Park will increase the structural rigidity to prevent bending of the measurement device of Asakawa.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 and 12 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.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art does not teach or suggest the battery pressure measuring sensor, wherein the plurality of variable resistor units are configured such that the resistance value is set as a criterion resistance value when the pressure is not applied, the resistance range of the resistance value according to the pressure of the variable resistor unit provided at the first location is a first resistance range, and the resistance range of the resistance value according to the pressure of the variable resistor unit provided at the second location is a second resistance range, and a lower limit of the first resistance range being equal to or greater than an upper limit of the second resistance range.
Claims 5-8 depend on claim 4.
Regarding claim 12, the prior art does not teach or suggest the battery pressure measuring apparatus, further having a charging and discharging unit configured to charge and discharge the battery, wherein the control unit is configured to judge a swelling state of the battery during charging and discharging of the battery.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYUNG S LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1994. The examiner can normally be reached 7AM-3PM M-F.
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, Renee Luebke can be reached at 571-272-2009.
The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
KYUNG S. LEE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2833
/KYUNG S LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833