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
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references listed in the Information Disclosure Statements filed on 04/10/2023 and 04/14/2025 have been considered by the examiner (see attached PTO-1449 forms).
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
The claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Claim 1 recites a method of adjusting a value of a current of a battery, performed by an electronic device, the method comprising: obtaining values of one or more basic parameters of a battery comprising the current of the battery, a voltage of the battery, and a temperature of the battery; determining a value of a first correction parameter relating to a variation in current due to charging and discharging of the battery, based on at least a portion of the value of the one or more basic parameters; determining a difference between an electrolyte concentration of an anode surface and an electrolyte concentration of a cathode surface of the battery, based on at least a portion of the values of the one or more basic parameters; determining a value of a temperature parameter based on the temperature of the battery; determining a value of a second correction parameter relating to a temperature of the battery, based on a variation of the difference and the value of the temperature parameter; and determining a correction value of the current of the battery by adjusting an initial value of the current, based on the value of the first correction parameter and the value of the second correction parameter.
Claim 14 recites an electronic device for adjusting a value of a current of a battery, the electronic device comprising: a memory configured to store a program; and a processor configured to execute the program to configure the electronic device to obtain values of one or more basic parameters of a battery comprising the current of the battery, a voltage of the battery, and a temperature of the battery; determine a value of a first correction parameter relating to a variation in current due to charging and discharging of the battery, based on at least a portion of the values of the one or more basic parameters; determine a difference between an electrolyte concentration of an anode surface and an electrolyte concentration of a cathode surface of the battery, based on at least a portion of the values of the one or more basic parameters; determine a value of a temperature parameter based on the temperature of the battery; determine a value of a second correction parameter relating to a temperature of the battery, based on a variation of the difference and the value of the temperature parameter; and determine a correction value of the current by adjusting an initial value of the current, based on the value of the first correction parameter and the value of the second correction parameter…
Claim 15 recites a processor-implemented method of adjusting a value of a current of a battery, the method comprising: obtaining values of one or more basic parameters of a battery comprising the current of the battery and a temperature of the battery; determining a value of a voltage of the battery based on at least a portion of the one or more basic parameters; determining a value of a first correction parameter relating to a change in current due to charging and discharging of the battery, based on at least a portion of the values of the one or more basic parameters and the value of the voltage of the battery; determining a difference between an electrolyte concentration of an anode surface and an electrolyte concentration of a cathode surface of the battery, based on at least a portion of the values of the one or more basic parameters; determining a value of a temperature parameter based on the temperature of the battery; determining a value of a second correction parameter relating to a temperature of the battery, based on a variation of the difference and the value of the temperature parameter; and determining a correction value of the current by adjusting an initial value of the current, based on the value of the first correction parameter and the value of the second correction parameter.…
and thus grouped as Mathematical concepts – mathematical relationships, mathematical formulas or equations, mathematical calculations.
These judicial exceptions are not integrated into a practical application because the additional elements, the data gathering step, (claim 1) “obtaining values of one or more basic parameters of a battery comprising the current of the battery, a voltage of the battery, and a temperature of the battery” (claim 14) “obtain values of one or more basic parameters of a battery comprising the current of the battery, a voltage of the battery, and a temperature of the battery” (claim 15) “obtaining values of one or more basic parameters of a battery comprising the current of the battery and a temperature of the battery” are mere data gathering that do not add a meaningful limitation to the method as they are insignificant extra-solution activity. Furthermore, the additional elements (claims 14 and 15) “a memory configured to store a program; and a processor configured to execute the program and processor-implemented method” are recited as performing generic computer functions routinely used in computer applications. Generic computer components recited as performing generic computer functions amount to no more than using a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea. All of which are considered not indicative of integration into a practical application (see “Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 4/ Monday, January 7, 2019 / Notices” – page 55, second column).
The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements of the data gathering steps are mere data collect steps which fall under insignificant extra solution activity and deemed insufficient to qualify as “significantly more” - see MPEP 2106.05(g). The additional elements of the processor are mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea and deemed insufficient to qualify as “significantly more” see MPEP 2106.05(f).
Dependent claims 2-13 and 16-20 when analyzed as a whole are patent ineligible under 35 U.S.C. §101 because the dependent claims fail to establish that the claims are not directed to an abstract idea as they are directed mathematical concepts and/or mental processes and do not add significantly more to the abstract idea.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 101 set forth in this Office action.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 1 is objected to because the closest prior art, Kwok [US Patent Number 6,300,763 B1], fails to anticipate or render obvious determining a difference between an electrolyte concentration of an anode surface and an electrolyte concentration of a cathode surface of the battery, based on at least a portion of the values of the one or more basic parameters; determining a value of a second correction parameter relating to a temperature of the battery, based on a variation of the difference and the value of the temperature parameter; and determining a correction value of the current of the battery by adjusting an initial value of the current, based on the value of the first correction parameter and the value of the second correction parameter, in combination with all other limitations in the claim(s) as defined by applicant.
Claim 14 is objected to because the closest prior art, Kwok [US Patent Number 6,300,763 B1], fails to anticipate or render obvious determine a difference between an electrolyte concentration of an anode surface and an electrolyte concentration of a cathode surface of the battery, based on at least a portion of the values of the one or more basic parameters; determine a value of a second correction parameter relating to a temperature of the battery, based on a variation of the difference and the value of the temperature parameter; and determine a correction value of the current by adjusting an initial value of the current, based on the value of the first correction parameter and the value of the second correction parameter, in combination with all other limitations in the claim(s) as defined by applicant.
Claim 15 is objected to because the closest prior art, Kwok [US Patent Number 6,300,763 B1], fails to anticipate or render obvious determining a difference between an electrolyte concentration of an anode surface and an electrolyte concentration of a cathode surface of the battery, based on at least a portion of the values of the one or more basic parameters; determining a value of a temperature parameter based on the temperature of the battery; determining a value of a second correction parameter relating to a temperature of the battery, based on a variation of the difference and the value of the temperature parameter; and determining a correction value of the current by adjusting an initial value of the current, based on the value of the first correction parameter and the value of the second correction parameter, in combination with all other limitations in the claim(s) as defined by applicant.
Kwok discusses methods for determining and/or maintaining a measurement of the state-of-charge within a battery as a result of tracking battery energy inputs and outputs which are determined by applying correction factors to time increments of measured charge and discharge currents (C6L4-9) by using a determined value of a first correction parameter (charge efficiency correction factor C6L29-39) and a determined value of a second correction parameter (discharge correction factors – C8L48-54) applied to charge and discharge currents of the battery to adjust an estimated state-off-charge value for the battery.
However, there is no teachings or suggestions in the prior art of record to determine the correction value parameters and using the correction values in the manner or arrangement as claimed.
Relevant Prior Art / Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Frenzel et al. (US Patent Number 11,209,490 B2) discloses a method for operating a battery sensor and a battery sensor, having an acquisition device for capturing a battery parameter and outputting a battery value dependent on the battery parameter, an evaluation circuit determines a corrected battery value from the battery value and from a correction value, a correction value determination device captures an influencing value of an influencing parameter of the correction value;
KIM et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0065934 A1) discloses a method for estimating a current state of charge (SOC) of a target battery by correcting a first electrochemical model corresponding to the target battery using a first voltage difference between a measured voltage of the target battery and an estimated voltage of the target battery that is estimated by the first electrochemical model and estimating an end SOC of the target battery by correcting a second electrochemical model using a second voltage difference between an estimated voltage of a virtual battery that is estimated by the second electrochemical model and a preset voltage.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICKY GO whose telephone number is (571)270-3340. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arleen M. Vazquez can be reached on (571) 272-2619. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICKY GO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857