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 .
DETAILED ACTION
The following NON-FINAL Office Action is in response to application 18/293,912 filed on 01/31/2024. This communication is the first action on the merits.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/31/2024 and 03/04/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 01/31/2024. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-7, 9-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception without significantly more. A subject matter eligibility analysis is set forth below. See MPEP 2106.
Specifically, representative Claim 1 recites:
A method for displaying battery charging electric quantity, comprising:
starting charging of the battery;
acquiring a first measured electric quantity and a first electric quantity change speed, and taking the first electric quantity change speed as a current electric quantity change speed;
calculating and displaying a first electric quantity according to the first measured electric quantity and the current electric quantity change speed, wherein the accuracy of the first electric quantity is higher than that of the first measured electric quantity; determining whether the charging is completed, in response to reaching a predetermined updating cycle;
acquiring a second measured electric quantity, and calculating and displaying a second electric quantity according to the second measured electric quantity and the current electric quantity change speed, in response to the charging being not completed, wherein the accuracy of the second electric quantity is higher than that of the second measured electric quantity;
updating the current electric quantity change speed according to the second electric quantity and the second measured electric quantity to obtain a second electric quantity change speed; and
taking the second electric quantity change speed as the current electric quantity change speed, and returning to the step of acquiring the first measured electric quantity and the first electric quantity change speed and taking the first electric quantity change speed as the current electric quantity change speed.
The claim limitations in the abstract idea have been highlighted in bold above; the remaining limitations are “additional elements.”
Similar limitations comprise the abstract idea of Claim 9 and 10 which performs the method of claim 1.
Under Step 1 of the analysis, claim 1 belongs to a statutory category, namely it is a method claim. Likewise, claim 9 is a device claim and claim 10 is a computer-readable medium claim.
Under Step 2A, prong 1: This part of the eligibility analysis evaluates whether the claim recites a judicial exception. As explained in MPEP 2106.04, subsection II, a claim “recites” a judicial exception when the judicial exception is “set forth” or “described” in the claim.
In the instant case, claim 1 is found to recite at least one judicial exception (i.e. abstract idea), that being a Mental Process and a Mathematical Concept. This can be seen in the claim limitations of “calculating and displaying a first electric quantity according to the first measured electric quantity and the current electric quantity change speed, wherein the accuracy of the first electric quantity is higher than that of the first measured electric quantity”, “determining whether the charging is completed, in response to reaching a predetermined updating cycle”, “calculating and displaying a second electric quantity according to the second measured electric quantity and the current electric quantity change speed, in response to the charging being not completed, wherein the accuracy of the second electric quantity is higher than that of the second measured electric quantity”, “updating the current electric quantity change speed according to the second electric quantity and the second measured electric quantity to obtain a second electric quantity change speed” and “taking the second electric quantity change speed as the current electric quantity change speed, and returning to the step of acquiring the first measured electric quantity and the first electric quantity change speed and taking the first electric quantity change speed as the current electric quantity change speed” which is the judicial exception of a mental process because these limitations are merely data observations, evaluations, and/or judgements in order to determine, estimate, and update battery charging electric quantity and electric quantity change speed and is capable of being performed mentally and/or with the aid of pen and paper. Additionally, the aforementioned limitations recite mathematical calculations, e.g. see Spec. [0030]-[0036] describing the use of mathematical calculations to determine an electric quantity change speed, calculate electric quantities according to measured electric quantities and time intervals, and update the electric quantity change speed based on differences between calculated and measured electric quantities, in order to estimate and display battery charging electric quantity.
Similar limitations comprise the abstract ideas of Claim 9 and 10.
Step 2A, prong 2 of the eligibility analysis evaluates whether the claim as a whole integrates the recited judicial exception(s) into a practical application of the exception. This evaluation is performed by (a) identifying whether there are any additional elements recited in the claim beyond the judicial exception, and (b) evaluating those additional elements individually and in combination to determine whether the claim as a whole integrates the exception into a practical application.
In addition to the abstract ideas recited in claim 1, the claimed method recites additional elements including “starting charging of the battery”, “acquiring a first measured electric quantity and a first electric quantity change speed, and taking the first electric quantity change speed as a current electric quantity change speed”, and “acquiring a second measured electric quantity” however these elements are found to be data gathering and output steps, which are recited at a high level of generality, and thus merely amount to “insignificant extra-solution” activity(ies). See MPEP 2106.05(g) “Insignificant Extra-Solution Activity,”. Furthermore, the claim recites that the recited calculations, determinations, and updates of electric quantity and electric quantity change of speed are performed using battery-charging components however this is found to be equivalent to adding the words “apply it” and mere instructions to apply a judicial exception on a general purpose computer does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. See MPEP 2106.05(f).
The generic data gathering, processing, and output steps, are recited at such a high level of generality (e.g., using a battery, measured electric quantity data, electric quantity change speed data, and battery-charging components) that it represents no more than mere instructions to apply the judicial exceptions on a computer. It can also be viewed as nothing more than an attempt to generally link the use of the judicial exceptions to the technological environment of a computer. Noting MPEP 2106.04(d)(I): “It is notable that mere physicality or tangibility of an additional element or elements is not a relevant consideration in Step 2A Prong Two. As the Supreme Court explained in Alice Corp., mere physical or tangible implementation of an exception does not guarantee eligibility. Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int’l, 573 U.S. 208, 224, 110 USPQ2d 1976, 1983-84 (2014) ("The fact that a computer ‘necessarily exist[s] in the physical, rather than purely conceptual, realm,’ is beside the point")”.
Thus, under Step 2A, prong 2 of the analysis, even when viewed in combination, these additional elements do not integrate the recited judicial exception into a practical application and the claim is directed to the judicial exception. No specific practical application is associated with the claimed system. For example, after calculating a first electric quantity, determining whether charging is complete, and updating an electric quantity change speed based on differences between calculated and measured electric quantities, the claims merely display an estimated battery charging electric quantity. The calculated results are not used to control a charger, alter charging parameters, improve battery performance, or effect any transformation of a physical device. Rather, the results are used only to generate and present information to a user.
Under Step 2B, the claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements, as described above with respect to Step 2A Prong 2, merely amount to a general purpose computer system that attempts to apply the abstract idea in a technological environment, limiting the abstract idea to a particular field of use, and/or merely performs insignificant extra-solution activit(ies) (claims 1, 9 and 10). Such insignificant extra-solution activity, e.g. data gathering and output, when re-evaluated under Step 2B is further found to be well-understood, routine, and conventional as evidenced by MPEP 2106.05(d)(II) (describing conventional activities that include transmitting and receiving data over a network, electronic recordkeeping, storing and retrieving information from memory, and electronically scanning or extracting data from a physical document).
Therefore, similarly the combination and arrangement of the above identified additional elements when analyzed under Step 2B also fails to necessitate a conclusion that claim 1, as well as claim 9 and 10, amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
With regards to the dependent claims, claims 2-7, 8, and 11-21, merely further expand upon the algorithm/abstract idea and do not set forth further additional elements that integrate the recited abstract idea into a practical application or amount to significantly more. Therefore, these claims are found ineligible for the reasons described for claims 1, 9 and 10. Specifically:
With respect to dependent claims 2, 3, 12, 13 and 18 specifically, the claims further recite detecting a charging power of the battery, acquiring and displaying a third measured electric quantity in response to the charging power being less than or equal to a predetermined power, stopping display of the charging electric quantity, or displaying a charging completed indication. These limitations merely involve gathering additional battery-related data and displaying information to a user based on the collected data. Such limitations amount to insignificant extra-solution activity and post-solution activity because they merely present the results of the abstract idea and do not improve the functioning of the battery, charging system, computer, or any other technology. Accordingly, these limitations fail to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or amount to significantly more. See MPEP 2106.05(g).
With respect to dependent claims 4, 14, and 19 specifically, the claims further recite acquiring a charging voltage and a charging current and determining a first electric quantity change speed according to the charging voltage and the charging current. These limitations merely involve gathering additional data inputs and performing mathematical calculations using the gathered data. The charging voltage and charging current are used solely as inputs to the abstract idea and do not result in any improvement to battery charging operations or any other technological process. Accordingly, these limitations amount to data gathering and mathematical analysis that are part of the abstract idea itself and fail to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or amount to significantly more. See MPEP 2106.05(f)(g).
With respect to dependent claims 5, 6, 15, 17, 20 and 21 specifically, the claims further recite acquiring measurement moments and display moments, calculating first and second time intervals, and calculating first and second electric quantities, electric quantity change speeds, and the calculated time intervals. These limitations are directed to mathematical relationships and calculations used to estimate battery charging electric quantity. Such limitations merely refine or expand upon abstract ideas through additional mathematical analysis and evaluations of data and do not improve the functioning of a computer, battery, charger, or other technology. Accordingly, these limitations fail to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or amount to significantly more. See MPEP 2106.05(f).
With respect to dependent claims 7 and 17 specifically, the claims further recite comparing calculated electric quantities with measured electric quantities and increasing or decreasing the electric quantity change speed when a difference exceed a predetermined threshold. These limitations merely involve evaluating data and updating a calculated parameter based upon the evaluation. Such limitations constitute mathematical concepts and mental processes because they involve comparisons, determinations, and adjustments performed using mathematical relationships. The updated electric quantity change speed is merely used in subsequent calculations and does not improve the operation of the battery, charging process, computer, or any other technology. Accordingly, these limitations fail to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or amount to significantly more. See MPEP 2106.05(f).
Accordingly, for the reasons above and those discussed in relation to independent claims 1, 9, and 10, the dependent claims are insufficient to integrate the claimed abstract idea into a practical application or amount to significant more.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-7, 9-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)\(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 20200309857 A1, Zeyghami et al. (hereinafter Zeyghami).
Regarding Claim 1, 9, and 10, Zeyghami discloses a method for displaying battery charging electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0008] Accordingly, the present disclosure and the inventive concepts described herein provide methods, systems, and devices for predicting a future SOC of a battery as a function of a usage pattern, as well as predicting usage-adaptive remaining run time and recharge time), comprising:
starting charging of the battery (Zeyghami, [0034] In operation 225, if a measured current is greater than a first current threshold |I.sub.MIN|, then the battery 20 may be charging, and operation 230 may be performed, where one or more predictions, such as a remaining time to charge, are updated);
acquiring a first measured electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0033] In operation 220, one or more properties of the battery may be measured at a first point in time (t.sub.1), using the sensors of the battery 20 and/or of the battery monitoring device 25 as discussed above. Examples of measured battery properties may include voltage, current, and temperature) and a first electric quantity change speed (Zeyghami, [0033] In operation 225, the charge status of the battery 20 may be determined, for example, based on a flow of current to or from the battery 20. Herein, a flow of current to the battery (e.g., a charging current) may be referred to as a positive current, and a flow of current from the battery (e.g., a discharging current) may be referred to as a negative current), and taking the first electric quantity change speed as a current electric quantity change speed (Zeyghami, [0032] The initial prediction of the remaining time to charge may be determined from the initial SOC and a default time to completely charge the battery 20, as provided from a manufacturer of the battery 20 and/or based on empirical data collected for the battery 20 or the type of the battery 20. The initial prediction of the remaining time to discharge the battery 20 may be determined from the initial SOC and a nominal usage rate (in units of current) for an application (e.g., Class 1 electric rider trucks, Class 2 electric narrow isle trucks and Class 3 electric hand trucks). The application may be provided as input to the battery monitoring device 25, or a default application (and hence a default nominal usage rate) may be used in the initialization operation 210);
calculating and displaying (Zeyghami, [0023] Data may be communicated (e.g., graphically, tabularly, and/or numerically) to the user of the vehicle 30 via an user interface, such as a display device 35 mounted in a dashboard of the vehicle 30 or otherwise visible to the user during operation of the vehicle 30) a first electric quantity according to the first measured electric quantity and the current electric quantity change speed (Zeyghami, [0057] An initial prediction of the remaining time in discharge of the battery 20, or a previous prediction of the remaining time in discharge of the battery 20, may be updated in operation 460 based on the results of operations 420 and 450, wherein the accuracy of the first electric quantity is higher than that of the first measured electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0068] Third, the inventive concepts herein improve the prediction accuracy of the remaining discharge time by adding a self-learning feature, as discussed above. For example, the algorithm is “penalized” when past prediction error occurs, which may enforce faster adaptation to a new usage pattern);
determining whether the charging is completed, in response to reaching a predetermined updating cycle (Zeyghami, [0040] In operation 310, the voltage of the battery 20 (which was measured, for example, in operation 220 of FIG. 2) may be compared with a threshold maximum voltage V.sub.MAX. If the voltage is greater than or equal to V.sub.MAX (e.g., YES branch from operation 310), then the battery 20 may be considered charged);
acquiring a second measured electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0038] The method 200 may then return to operation 220 and perform another measurement of one or more of the properties of battery 20, as discussed above, for a second point in time (t.sub.2). As an example, a measurement of one or more of the properties of battery 20 may occur once every second, multiple times a second, or periodically every n seconds, where n>=2. In some embodiments, operations 225, 230, 240, 250, and/or 260 may also be performed once every second, multiple times a second, or periodically every n seconds), and calculating and displaying a second electric quantity according to the second measured electric quantity and the current electric quantity change speed (Zeyghami, [0026] The battery 20, the battery monitoring device 25, the charger 40, and/or the computing devices 90, 95 may include a display device for displaying measurements, estimations, and/or predictions (e.g., graphically, tabularly, and/or numerically)), in response to the charging being not completed (Zeyghami, [0057] using the new estimated capacity of the battery 20 and the predicted future usage rate that has been periodically corrected. Additionally and/or alternatively in operation 460, a prediction of the remaining time to charge may be updated, as the current flowing to the battery 20 may result in decreased charge in the battery 20, decreasing the remaining capacity. For example, the new estimated capacity of the battery 20 may be used to calculate a new time to charge the battery 20. Accordingly, the initial prediction of the remaining time to charge the battery 20, or a previous prediction of the remaining time to charge the battery 20, may be updated in operation 460), wherein the accuracy of the second electric quantity is higher than that of the second measured electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0068] Third, the inventive concepts herein improve the prediction accuracy of the remaining discharge time by adding a self-learning feature, as discussed above. For example, the algorithm is “penalized” when past prediction error occurs, which may enforce faster adaptation to a new usage pattern);
updating the current electric quantity change speed according to the second electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0056] In operation 450, a correction factor may be applied to the predicted future usage rate determined in operation 440. For example, over a period of time (e.g., z hours), an actual usage of energy may be measured by the battery monitoring device 25. This actual usage of energy may be compared to the number of predicted used amp-hours over the same period of time) and the second measured electric quantity to obtain a second electric quantity change speed (Zeyghami, [0056] A calculated difference between the predicted usage over the period of time from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1 and the actual usage of the period of time from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1 may be used to adjust the newly predicted usage rate. This may be performed using Equation (5)); and
taking the second electric quantity change speed as the current electric quantity change speed (Zeyghami, [0041] the initial SOC of battery 20, or a previous SOC of the battery 20, may be updated in operation 330 by first calculating a relative change in capacity (Ah) based on the measured current and Δt, the difference in time between the present measurement of the current and the previous measurement of the current. This relative change in capacity is then summed with the present estimated capacity of the battery 20, resulting in a new estimated capacity of the battery 20. An updated SOC is determined based on the new estimated capacity of the battery 20, and the nominal capacity of the battery (provided by the manufacturer or determined empirically)), and returning to the step of acquiring the first measured electric quantity and the first electric quantity change speed and taking the first electric quantity change speed as the current electric quantity change speed (Zeyghami, [0038] The method 200 may then return to operation 220 and perform another measurement of one or more of the properties of battery 20, as discussed above, for a second point in time (t.sub.2). As an example, a measurement of one or more of the properties of battery 20 may occur once every second, multiple times a second, or periodically every n seconds, where n>=2. In some embodiments, operations 225, 230, 240, 250, and/or 260 may also be performed once every second, multiple times a second, or periodically every n seconds).
In addition to Claim 9, Zeyghami discloses an electricity-consuming terminal device, comprising a battery (Zeyghami, [0065] The computing device 200 may also include input/output interfaces 607 which may include circuits and/or devices configured to enable the computing device 600 to communicate with external input and/or output devices (e.g., the battery 20, network devices of the network 50) on a unidirectional or bidirectional basis), an electric quantity management module (Zeyghami, [0023] The battery monitoring device 25 may be electrically and/or communicatively coupled to the battery 20 and configured to receive measurements from the sensors of battery 20 and/or the sensors of the battery monitoring device 25 and communicate the measurements to one or more recipients), a display module (Zeyghami, [0023] Data may be communicated (e.g., graphically, tabularly, and/or numerically) to the user of the vehicle 30 via an user interface, such as a display device 35 mounted in a dashboard of the vehicle 30 or otherwise visible to the user during operation of the vehicle 30), at least one processor (Zeyghami, [0065] The components illustrated in FIG. 6 (e.g., processor 601, ROM storage 602) may be implemented using basic computing devices and components, and the same or similar basic components may be used to implement any of the other computing devices and components described herein), a memory (Zeyghami, [0065] The instructions may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or memory, to configure the operation of the processor 601. For example, instructions may be stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 602, random access memory (RAM) 603, removable media 604, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive, compact disk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD), floppy disk drive, or any other desired electronic storage medium), and at least one computer program (Zeyghami, [0065] A computing device 600 may include one or more processors 601, which may execute instructions of a computer program to perform any of the features described herein), wherein the at least one computer program is stored in the memory and comprises instructions which, when executed by the electricity-consuming terminal device, cause the electricity consuming terminal device to perform a method for displaying battery charging electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0008] Accordingly, the present disclosure and the inventive concepts described herein provide methods, systems, and devices for predicting a future SOC of a battery as a function of a usage pattern, as well as predicting usage-adaptive remaining run time and recharge time)
In addition to Claim 10, Zeyghami discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (Zeyghami, [0075] Accordingly, the inventive concepts may be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.). Furthermore, embodiments of the present inventive concepts may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable non-transient storage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system), storing a processor-executable program which (Zeyghami, [0065] The instructions may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or memory, to configure the operation of the processor 601. For example, instructions may be stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 602, random access memory (RAM) 603, removable media 604, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive, compact disk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD), floppy disk drive, or any other desired electronic storage medium), when executed by a processor (Zeyghami, [0065] A computing device 600 may include one or more processors 601, which may execute instructions of a computer program to perform any of the features described herein), causes the processor executable program to perform a method for displaying battery charging electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0038] The method 200 may then return to operation 220 and perform another measurement of one or more of the properties of battery 20, as discussed above, for a second point in time (t.sub.2). As an example, a measurement of one or more of the properties of battery 20 may occur once every second, multiple times a second, or periodically every n seconds, where n>=2. In some embodiments, operations 225, 230, 240, 250, and/or 260 may also be performed once every second, multiple times a second, or periodically every n seconds)
Regarding Claim 2, 12, and 18, Zeyghami discloses the method for displaying battery charging electric quantity of claim 1, wherein after starting the charging of the battery, the method further comprises:
detecting a charging power of the battery (Zeyghami, [0040] In operation 310, the voltage of the battery 20 (which was measured, for example, in operation 220 of FIG. 2)), and in response to the charging power being less than or equal to a predetermined power (Zeyghami, [0040] In operation 310, the voltage of the battery 20 (which was measured, for example, in operation 220 of FIG. 2) may be compared with a threshold maximum voltage V.sub.MAX. If the voltage is greater than or equal to V.sub.MAX (e.g., YES branch from operation 310), then the battery 20 may be considered charged, and predefined values may be used in operation 315), acquiring and displaying a third measured electric quantity until the charging is completed (Zeyghami, [0020] For example, a property may be estimated where the property is difficult, time-consuming, or energy-consuming to measure directly. First and second values measured at first and second points in time, respectively, may be used to estimate a third value at a third point in time occurring in between the first and second points in time. “Battery monitoring” may also include predicting future values of battery properties at a point in time in the future relative to when the prediction is made), wherein the accuracy of the first electric quantity and the accuracy of the second electric quantity are higher than that of the third measured electric quantity (Zeyghami , [0041] initial SOC of battery 20, or a previous SOC of the battery 20, may be updated in operation 330 by first calculating a relative change in capacity (Ah) based on the measured current and Δt, the difference in time between the present measurement of the current and the previous measurement of the current. This relative change in capacity is then summed with the present estimated capacity of the battery 20, resulting in a new estimated capacity of the battery 20. An updated SOC is determined based on the new estimated capacity of the battery 20, and the nominal capacity of the battery (provided by the manufacturer or determined empirically) [0068] Third, the inventive concepts herein improve the prediction accuracy of the remaining discharge time by adding a self-learning feature, as discussed above. For example, the algorithm is “penalized” when past prediction error occurs, which may enforce faster adaptation to a new usage pattern).
Regarding Claim 3, 11, and 13, Zeyghami discloses the method for displaying battery charging electric quantity of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
in response to the charging being completed, stopping display of the charging electric quantity or displaying charging completed (Zeyghami, [0037] After performance of one of operations 230, 240, or 250, optionally operation 260 may be performed, in which one or more actions are taken, for example based on the updated predictions and/or estimations of values determined in the performed operation 230, 240, or 250. Such actions may include, for example, transmitting a notification to a user or a device (e.g., the display device 35 of the vehicle 30, the computing devices 90, 95, the database 80) indicating the updated predictions and/or estimations of values determined in the performed operation 230, 240, or 250).
Regarding Claim 4, 14, and 19, Zeyghami discloses the method for displaying battery charging electric quantity of claim 1, wherein
acquiring the first electric quantity change speed comprises:
acquiring a charging voltage and a charging current at a first moment corresponding to the first measured electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0033] In operation 225, the charge status of the battery 20 may be determined, for example, based on a flow of current to or from the battery 20. Herein, a flow of current to the battery (e.g., a charging current) may be referred to as a positive current, and a flow of current from the battery (e.g., a discharging current) may be referred to as a negative current); and
determining the first electric quantity change speed according to the charging voltage and the charging current (Zeyghami, [0033] In operation 220, one or more properties of the battery may be measured at a first point in time (t.sub.1), using the sensors of the battery 20 and/or of the battery monitoring device 25 as discussed above. Examples of measured battery properties may include voltage, current, and temperature).
Regarding Claim 5, 15, and 19, Zeyghami discloses the method for displaying battery charging electric quantity of claim 1, wherein calculating and displaying a first electric quantity according to the first measured electric quantity and the current electric quantity change speed comprises:
acquiring a first moment corresponding to the first measured electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0032] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the battery monitoring method 200 may include an initialization operation 210, which may be performed for the battery 20 once as illustrated in FIG. 2, and/or may be performed periodically for the battery 20 based on user preference or responsive to an indication, such as expiration of a timer, an indication that the battery 20 has been idle for a period of time, or so on. During initialization operation 210, an initial SOC of the battery 20 may be known (e.g., retrieved from a memory device) and/or may be inputted by a user. In some embodiments, an initial SOC of the battery 20 may be unknown and/or not entered by the user, and in such embodiments, the initial SOC may be determined based on a measurement of an open circuit voltage (OCV) after a period of time where the battery is idle [0033] In operation 220, one or more properties of the battery may be measured at a first point in time (t.sub.1), using the sensors of the battery 20 and/or of the battery monitoring device 25 as discussed above. Examples of measured battery properties may include voltage, current, and temperature. In operation 225, the charge status of the battery 20 may be determined, for example, based on a flow of current to or from the battery 20);
acquiring a display moment of the first electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0026] The battery 20, the battery monitoring device 25, the charger 40, and/or the computing devices 90, 95 may include a display device for displaying measurements, estimations, and/or predictions (e.g., graphically, tabularly, and/or numerically). In some embodiments, the battery 20, the battery monitoring device 25, the charger 40, and/or the computing devices 90, 95 may include input devices configured to accept user input, such as an initial state of charge of the battery 20, desired type of output/display, user settings (e.g., temperature values provided in Celsius or Fahrenheit) and so on);
calculating a first time interval between the display moment and the first moment (Zeyghami, [0044] The output of the CV pre-trained multi-variable model (e.g., the selected CV pre-trained multi-variable model) may be used to estimate the duration of the CV stage, resulting in a value T.sub.CV. The predicted time remaining in charge (e.g., to fully charge) may be based on the predicted duration of the CC stage (T.sub.CC) and the predicted duration of the CV stage (T.sub.CV), less the time the battery 20 has already spent in charging, which may be stored in memory in the battery monitoring device 25); and
calculating the first electric quantity according to the first measured electric quantity, the current electric quantity change speed, and the first time interval (Zeyghami, [0041] If, however, the voltage is not greater than V.sub.MAX (e.g., NO branch from operation 310), then a charge efficiency may be calculated in operation 320. The charge efficiency may be calculated based on the initial SOC or a previously estimated SOC, the measured current, and the measured temperature of the battery 20 (which were measured, for example, in operation 220 of FIG. 2). The charge efficiency may be a value between 0 and 1, representing that the measured current may result in only a partial charge based on the charge efficiency. In operation 330, the SOC of the battery 20 may be updated. For example, the initial SOC of battery 20, or a previous SOC of the battery 20, may be updated in operation 330 by first calculating a relative change in capacity (Ah) based on the measured current and Δt, the difference in time between the present measurement of the current and the previous measurement of the current. This relative change in capacity is then summed with the present estimated capacity of the battery 20, resulting in a new estimated capacity of the battery 20. An updated SOC is determined based on the new estimated capacity of the battery 20, and the nominal capacity of the battery (provided by the manufacturer or determined empirically)).
Regarding Claim 6, 16, and 20, Zeyghami discloses the method for displaying battery charging electric quantity of claim 1, wherein
calculating and displaying a second electric quantity according to the second measured electric quantity and the current electric quantity change speed comprises:
acquiring a first moment corresponding to the first measured electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0032] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the battery monitoring method 200 may include an initialization operation 210, which may be performed for the battery 20 once as illustrated in FIG. 2, and/or may be performed periodically for the battery 20 based on user preference or responsive to an indication, such as expiration of a timer, an indication that the battery 20 has been idle for a period of time, or so on. During initialization operation 210, an initial SOC of the battery 20 may be known (e.g., retrieved from a memory device) and/or may be inputted by a user. In some embodiments, an initial SOC of the battery 20 may be unknown and/or not entered by the user, and in such embodiments, the initial SOC may be determined based on a measurement of an open circuit voltage (OCV) after a period of time where the battery is idle [0033] In operation 220, one or more properties of the battery may be measured at a first point in time (t.sub.1), using the sensors of the battery 20 and/or of the battery monitoring device 25 as discussed above. Examples of measured battery properties may include voltage, current, and temperature. In operation 225, the charge status of the battery 20 may be determined, for example, based on a flow of current to or from the battery 20);
acquiring a second moment corresponding to the second measured electric quantity (Zeyghami, [0020] The phrase “battery monitoring” as used herein may include measuring values of properties of a battery at a point in time and/or over a period of time. “Battery monitoring” may also include estimating values of battery properties at past and/or present points in time, relative to a time when the estimation is performed. For example, a property may be estimated where the property is difficult, time-consuming, or energy-consuming to measure directly. First and second values measured at first and second points in time, respectively, may be used to estimate a third value at a third point in time occurring in between the first and second points in time. “Battery monitoring” may also include predicting future values of battery properties at a point in time in the future relative to when the prediction is made);
calculating a second time interval between the first moment and the second moment (Zeyghami, [0056] a prediction may be made a time T.sub.0 for amp-hour usage over a period of time from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1 (e.g., a period of z hours), and at T.sub.1 the predicted amp-hour usage over the period of time from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1 may be compared with the actual usage over the period of time from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1. A calculated difference between the predicted usage over the period of time from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1 and the actual usage of the period of time from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1 may be used to adjust the newly predicted usage rate); and
calculating the second electric quantity according to the second measured electric quantity, the current electric quantity change speed, and the second time interval (Zeyghami, [0056] equation (5), I.sub.prd1 is the newly predicted usage rate from operation 440, e is the calculated difference between the predicted usage over the period of time from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1 and the actual usage of the period of time from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1, z is the length of the period of time from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1, and alpha (α) is an adjustable self-learning rate with a value between zero and one (e.g., 0≤α≤1). In some embodiments, the correction factor may only be periodically determined and/or periodically applied, for example to preserve computational resources and/or to limit vacillating behavior in the predicted future rate, e.g., from over and under correcting)
Regarding Claim 7 and 17, Zeyghami discloses the method for displaying battery charging electric quantity of claim 1, wherein updating the current electric quantity change speed according to the second electric quantity and the second measured electric quantity to obtain a second electric quantity change speed comprises:
in response to a difference between the second electric quantity and the second measured electric quantity being greater than a predetermined threshold, decreasing the current electric quantity change speed to obtain the second electric quantity change speed (Zeyghami, Fig. 2 [0035] In operation 225, if the measured current is less than a second current threshold −|I.sub.MIN|, then the battery 20 may be discharging, and operation 240 may be performed, where one or more predictions, such as a remaining time to discharge, are updated. For example, the initial prediction of the remaining time to discharge the battery 20, or a previous prediction of the remaining time to discharge the battery 20, may be updated in operation 240. Additionally and/or alternatively in operation 240, a prediction of the remaining time to charge may be updated, as the current flowing from the battery 20 may result in decreased charge in the battery 20, decreasing the remaining capacity. Accordingly, the initial prediction of the remaining time to charge the battery 20, or a previous prediction of the remaining time to charge the battery 20, may be updated in operation 240. Further details of operation 240 are provided with reference to FIG. 4); and
in response to a difference between the second measured electric quantity and the second electric quantity being greater than a predetermined threshold, increasing the current electric quantity change speed to obtain the second electric quantity change speed; wherein the predetermined threshold is a positive number (Zeyghami, Fig. 2 [0034] In operation 225, if a measured current is greater than a first current threshold |I.sub.MIN|, then the battery 20 may be charging, and operation 230 may be performed, where one or more predictions, such as a remaining time to charge, are updated. For example, the initial prediction of the remaining time to charge the battery 20, or a previous prediction of the remaining time to charge the battery 20, may be updated in operation 230. Additionally and/or alternatively in operation 230, a prediction of the remaining time to discharge may be updated, as the current flowing to the battery 20 may result in increased charge in the battery 20, increasing the remaining capacity. Accordingly, the initial prediction of the remaining time to discharge the battery 20, or a previous prediction of the remaining time to discharge the battery 20, may be updated in operation 230. Further details of operation 230 are provided with reference to FIG. 3).
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclose:
-WO 2012098770 A1, discloses a battery charge rate estimation device for estimating a charge rate of a battery, wherein state of charge values are determined using current integration and open circuit voltage techniques and estimation errors are corrected to improve charge rate estimation accuracy.
-US 6429625 B1, discloses a method and apparatus for indicating when a rechargeable battery has been fully charged by determining an elapsed charging time and activating a charge completion indicator when the elapsed charging time exceeds a predetermined time.
-US 20210199721 A1, discloses a method, battery pack, and electronic device for displaying a battery charge amount, wherein a displayed charge amount is corrected based on predetermined threshold values to improve user perception of charging progress and charging completion.
-US 20140177145 A1, discloses a semiconductor device, battery pack, electronic device for monitoring a battery state, determining an actual extracted capacity value, and correcting the estimated battery capacity based on a difference between the estimated and actual capacity values.
-US 20110175569 A1, discloses a vehicle battery charging system configured to control charging of a vehicle battery, including selectively increasing, decreasing, initiating, or terminating battery charging based on charging conditions and user selected charging parameters. .
Conclusion
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/IBRAHIM NAGI SHOHATEE/Examiner, Art Unit 2857
/SHELBY A TURNER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2857
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