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 .
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5 and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(2) as being anticipated by GUHA et al. (US 2021/0247460 A1, hereinafter GUHA).
Regarding claims 1 and 8 (claim 1 is considered representative for limitation matching purposes), GUHA discloses a system for charging a battery, comprising:
a plurality of sensors coupled with the battery (See Par.39, discloses providing voltage, current and temperature sensors to receiver module 213. Par.50, discloses the battery parameters are measured by sensors);
at least one battery charger coupled with the battery (See Par.5, discloses the disclosed system measured battery parameters during charging and controls the charging based on an evaluation of the data. This clearly indicates the presence of a battery charger which applies the charging profile to the battery); and
a processing unit coupled with the sensors and the battery charger (See Fig.1, Item#109, discloses a processor coupled to battery 101. Fig.2, Item#213 and Par.39, disclose the receiver module receives voltage, current and temperatures parameters of the rechargeable battery during charging), the processing unit comprising a battery degradation modeling module (See Fig.2, Item#217 and Pars.42 and 44, discloses the comparator module may compare between the estimated model parameters of the rechargeable battery 101 and the rechargeable battery 101 parameters received by the receiver module 213. The comparison step may be performed to determine degradation parameters of the rechargeable battery 101 in real-time) and an aging-aware battery charging strategy module (See Fig.2, Item#219 and Par.44, disclose the determiner 219 may determine a new charging profile based on degradation parameters), the processing unit configured to:
receive sensor information from the sensors (See Fig.2, Item#213, Par.39 and Fig.3, Step#301);
detect, using the battery degradation modeling module, aging phenomena or mechanisms that cause aging effect of the battery using a degradation model of the battery based on the sensor information (See Fig.3, Step#303-305, disclose estimating battery model parameters and comparing the model parameters to received parameters and determine degradation parameters of the battery);
calculate, using the aging-aware battery charging strategy module, a charging profile for the battery based on the aging effect of the battery and the sensor information (See Fig.3, Steps#307 and Par.54, discloses determining a new charging current profile of the battery based on degradation parameters of the battery. Par.42, discloses the degradation is calculated using the battery sensor parameters i.e. the aging aware battery charging module takes into consideration the sensor information); and
control the battery charger to charge the battery based on the charging profile (See Fig.3, Step#309 and Par.57, disclose applying the new charging profile).
Regarding claims 2 and 9 (claim 2 is considered representative for limitation matching purposes), GUHA discloses the system of claim 1 as discussed above, wherein the aging effect includes:
internal resistance increase within the battery (See Par.42, discloses the degradation parameter includes resistance of the SEI layer. Resistance of the SEI layer is a fundamental component of the battery internal resistance and as the resistance of the SEI layer increases the battery is degraded).
Regarding claim 4, GUHA discloses the system of claim 2 as discussed above, wherein the battery is a lithium-ion battery (See Par.66, discloses the battery is a Li-ion battery) and the aging phenomenon or mechanism includes: solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer growth (See Par.42, discloses the degradation parameter includes resistance of the SEI layer. The resistance of the SEI layer is a measurement of the growth of the SEI layer).
Regarding claim 5, GUHA discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the charging profile includes battery charging current or power values and a degradation status of the battery (See Pars.44-45, discloses determining and applying a new charging current profile based on the degradation parameters).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GUHA in view of FASCHING et al. (US 11,125,707B1, hereinafter FASCHING).
Regarding claim 3, GUHA discloses the system of claim 2 as discussed above, However, GUHA does not disclose wherein the aging phenomenon or mechanism includes one or more of: electrolyte oxidation, transition metal dissolution, anode or cathode film growth, or active material loss within the battery.
FASCHING discloses the aging phenomenon includes electrolyte oxidation (See Col.25, lines 15-22).
GUHA and FASCHING are analogous art since they both deal with battery degradation evaluation.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify invention disclosed by GUHA with the teachings of FASCHING by adding the detection of an aging phenomenon comprising electrolyte oxidation for the benefit of improving the degradation evaluation of the battery.
Claim(s) 11 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GUHA in view of ZHANG et al. (US 2019/0229378 A1, hereinafter ZHANG).
Regarding claims 11 and 17 (Claim 11 is considered representative for limitation matching purposes), GUHA discloses the method of claim 8 as discussed above, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the processing unit, sensor information from the sensors (See Fig.1, Item#109, discloses a processor coupled to battery 101. Fig.2, Item#213 and Par.39, disclose the receiver module receives voltage, current and temperatures parameters of the rechargeable battery during charging. Par.50, discloses the battery parameters are measured by sensors);
calculating, by the aging-aware battery charging strategy module, a charging profile for the battery based on the aging effect of the battery and the sensor information (See Fig.3, Steps#307 and Par.54, discloses determining a new charging current profile of the battery based on degradation parameters of the battery. Par.42 discloses the degradation is calculated using the battery sensor parameters i.e. the aging aware battery charging module takes into consideration the sensor information).
However, GUHA does not disclose the battery implemented in a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine, an aftertreatment system coupled with the engine and the sensors, and a motor/generator coupled with the battery, the method further comprising:
the sensors coupled with the aftertreatment system.
ZHANG discloses a system for determining battery degradation using measurements from sensors coupled with a vehicle aftertreatment system and controlling charging using the determined battery degradation (See Fig.1, discloses a BMS 36 comprising a processor 40, the processor receives sensor data from sensors [Fig.2, Items#64, 66 and Par.58, disclose a temperature sensor and a plurality of other sensors in communication with the BMS 36. Fig.5, discloses using the measurements and a battery model to determine degradation and control charging based on the monitored or quantified degradation i.e. lithium plating]).
GUHA and ZHANG are analogous art since they both deal with battery degradation monitoring and charging control.
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 GUHA with the teachings of ZHANG by implementing the battery degradation evaluation and charging control in a vehicle environment for the benefit of prolonging the life of the vehicle battery and preventing capacity loss.
Claim(s) 6-7, 10 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GUHA in view of KIM et al. (US 2022/0281345 A1, hereinafter KIM).
Regarding claim 6, GUHA discloses the system of claim 1 as discussed above, however GUHA does not disclose wherein the at least one battery charger comprises a plurality of charging stations for a corresponding plurality of the vehicles, and the charging profile comprises a plurality of charging profiles for a plurality of batteries corresponding to the plurality of vehicles.
KIM discloses a plurality of charging stations for a corresponding plurality of the vehicles (See Par.30and 42, disclose a plurality of charging stations), and the charging profile comprises a plurality of charging profiles for a plurality of batteries corresponding to the plurality of vehicles (See Fig.1 and Par.43 and abstract, disclose the server 11 calculates the SOH of a vehicle battery attached to each station and provides an updated control factor to control the charging of each vehicle based on the calculated SOH. This means that a plurality of charging profiles is sent to each station based on the condition of the connected battery).
GUHA and KIM are analogous art since they both deal with battery monitoring and deterioration evaluation.
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 GUHA with the teachings of KIM by implementing the charging system in a management for a plurality of charging stations for the benefit of prolonging the battery life of a plurality of batteries in a vehicle fleet.
Regarding claims 7 and 10 (claim 7 is considered representative for limitation matching purposes), GUHA and KIM disclose the system of claim 6 as discussed above, wherein the processing unit is further configured to calculate a charging schedule for the vehicles using the charging stations based on the charging profiles (See KIM, Par.25, discloses the control factor includes a maximum charging current; the examiner explains that the value of the current controls the charging period since the value of the current determines the length of charging of the battery to full charge. Claim 10 includes the limitations of claims 6 and 7, both rejected above, same rejection applies).
Regarding claim 16, GUHA discloses the method of claim 8 as discussed above, However GUHA does not disclose wherein the processor, the battery, and the battery charger are wirelessly connected via a cloud network, the processor located remotely from the battery and the battery charger, the method further comprising:
wirelessly receiving, by the processor via the cloud network, the sensor information from the sensors coupled with the battery,
wirelessly transmitting, by the processor via the cloud network, the calculated charging profile to a secondary processor coupled with the battery or the battery charger, and
controlling, by the secondary processor, charging of the battery based on the charging profile.
KIM discloses a battery performance management system wherein a processor (See Fig.1, discloses a battery performance management server 11 comprising a processor 11b), the battery (See Fig.1, discloses a vehicle EVn comprising a battery Bn), and the battery charger a(See Fig.1, Item:EVCk, discloses a charging station), are wirelessly connected via a cloud network (See Fig.1 and Par.45, discloses a wireless network for connecting the processor 11b or server 11 and the charging station EVCk and vehicle EVn housing the battery Bn) the processor located remotely from the battery and the battery charger (See Fig.1 and Par.2, disclose the server is remotely located from the charging station and vehicle comprising the battery), the method further comprising:
wirelessly receiving, by the processor via the cloud network, the sensor information from the sensors coupled with the battery (See Par.55, discloses the server collects battery performance evaluation information and charging characteristics from the station via the wireless network), wirelessly transmitting, by the processor via the cloud network, the calculated charging profile to a secondary processor coupled with the battery or the battery charger (See Par.127, discloses the server sending a control actor to the control system of the electric vehicle), and controlling, by the secondary processor, charging of the battery based on the charging profile (See Par.128, discloses the control factor is used control charging of the battery based on the state of health (SOH)).
GUHA and KIM are analogous art since they both deal with battery monitoring and deterioration evaluation.
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 GUHA with the teachings of KIM by implementing the charging system in a management server for a plurality of charging stations for the benefit of prolonging the battery life of a plurality of batteries in a vehicle fleet.
Claim(s) 12 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GUHA in view of ZHANG and in further view of EDMAN et al. (US 2022/0216535 A1, hereinafter EDMAN).
Regarding claim 12, GUHA and ZHANG disclose the method of claim 11 as discussed above, further comprising: calculating, by the processor, a generator power and an engine power based on the charging profile (See ZHANG, Par.59, discloses that a decrease in the temperature of the battery increases the likelihood of lithium plating, Pars.60-61, disclose controlling the current applied to the battery from the alternator based on the temperature in order to avoid thermal plating. The current applied by the alternator is received via engine or regenerative braking).
However, GUHA and ZHANG do not disclose wherein the calculated generator power and the engine power facilitate maintaining the aftertreatment system at or above a minimum threshold temperature.
EDMAN discloses a vehicle battery charging system and method comprising determining the battery temperature and controlling the engine torque to charge the battery to keep the battery above a certain temperature (See Pars.18 and 20 and Fig.2, steps#204, 206 and 208, disclose detecting the battery temperature and when the temperature is below a certain level, controlling the engine torque to charge the battery to maintain the battery temperature above a threshold. The process continues until the threshold temperature is reached. The examiner further provides GRAUBMANN [US2022/0118818] as evidence of well-known fact, that it is desired to keep the battery temperature within a certain temperature range to improve lifetime and ensure proper energy delivery [Par.6]).
GUHA, ZHANG and EDMAN are analogous art since they all deal with battery temperature monitoring and charging control.
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 GUHA and ZHANG with the teachings of ZHANG by controlling the engine output to maintain the batter temperature above a threshold temperature for the benefit of prolonging the life of the battery and improving its output.
Regarding claim 14, GUHA, ZHANG and EDMAN disclose the method of claim 12 as discussed above, further comprising:
controlling, by the processor, the engine to provide mechanical power to the motor/generator to charge the battery based on the charging profile (See Pars.18 and 20 and Fig.2, steps#204, 206 and 208, disclose detecting the battery temperature and when the temperature is below a certain level, controlling the engine torque to charge the battery to maintain the battery temperature above a threshold).
Regarding claim 15, GUHA, ZHANG and EDMAN disclose the method of claim 12 as discussed above, further comprising:
controlling, by the processor, the motor/generator to capture regenerative braking energy based on the charging profile (See ZHANG, Par.59, discloses that a decrease in the temperature of the battery increases the likelihood of lithium plating, Pars.60-61, disclose controlling the current applied to the battery from the alternator based on the temperature in order to avoid thermal plating. The current applied by the alternator is received via engine or regenerative braking. GUHA as modified by ZHANG and EDMAN discloses a battery monitoring and changing system wherein a battery temperature is monitored and when the battery temperature is below a threshold, controlling the engine to produce energy to heat the battery, ZHANG discloses the energy is produced either by operation of the engine or by engine braking).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GUHA in view of ZHANG and EDMAN and in further view of YAMAZAKI et al. (US 2023/0130800 A1, hereinafter YAMAZAKI).
Regarding claim 13, GUHA, ZHANG and EDMAN disclose the method of claim 12 as discussed above, ZHANG further discloses controlling charging by the alternator based on temperature and that a decrease in temperature increases the likelihood of lithium plating (See Par.59, discloses that a decrease in the temperature of the battery increases the likelihood of lithium plating, Pars.60-61, disclose controlling the current applied to the battery from the alternator based on the temperature in order to avoid thermal plating. The current applied by the alternator is received via engine or regenerative braking).
However, GUHA, ZHANG and EDMAN do not disclose further comprising:
activating, by the processor, an electric heater operatively coupled with the aftertreatment system to maintain the aftertreatment system at or above the minimum threshold temperature.
YAMAZAKI discloses a control system for secondary battery comprising:
activating, by the processor, an electric heater operatively coupled with the aftertreatment system to maintain the aftertreatment system at or above the minimum threshold temperature (See Pars.86 and 91-92, discloses activating a heater to heat a battery 102a at the time of low temperature [below a threshold of 25 ° C] and continuing the heating until the battery reaches the minimum temperature).
GUHA, ZHANG, EDMAN and YAMAZAKI are analogous art since they all deal with battery temperature monitoring and charging control.
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 GUHA, ZHANG and EDMAN with the teachings of YAMAZAKI by adding a heater to preheat the battery when the temperature is below a temperature threshold for the benefit of prolonging the life of the battery and improving performance (See YAMAZAKI, Par.6).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED H OMAR whose telephone number is (571)270-7165. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am -7:00 PM EST.
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, Drew Dunn can be reached at 571-272-2312. 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.
/AHMED H OMAR/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
Prosecution Insights