CTNF 18/351,475 CTNF 75537 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 use of the terms Apple, Google, Microsoft, Chrome, Android, Windows, macOS, and Mozilla which are trade names or a marks used in commerce, has been noted in this application (see, for example, para. 0023 of the specification). The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the term. Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks. While several examples have been noted above, the applicant is requested to review their entire disclosure for the use of any trade names or marks and identify them accordingly. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-6, 9-14, and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Sidiropoulos et al (US 2023/0216213 A1) . Regarding claims 1, 12 and 17, Sidiropoulos et al teaches (see Figs. 2-8) a device (202, see paras. 0037-0045), method (see Fig. 8), and computer readable storage medium (SRSM) that is not a transitory signal (208, see paras. 0045-0046), comprising: a processor assembly (206); and storage (208) accessible to the processor assembly and comprising instructions executable by the processor assembly to: determine (see paras. 0043, 0048-0050, and 0081-0084) that a first battery cell (a first one of 220) of a battery pack (202) has a higher voltage than a second battery cell (a second one of 220) of the battery pack; and based on the determination, use system load (the external apparatus) to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell (see at least para. 0042, 0052-0059, and 0082-0088). Regarding claim 2, Sidiropoulos et al teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to: based on the determination (see paras. 0043, 0048-0050, and 0081-0084), use system load (the external apparatus) to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, not discharge the second battery cell (see Fig. 8, step 812, and paras. 0042, 0053, 0073, and 0088). Regarding claim 3, Sidiropoulos et al teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to: based on the determination (see paras. 0043, 0048-0050, and 0081-0084), use system load (the external apparatus) to discharge the first battery cell (a first one of 220) more than the second battery cell (a second one of 220) and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, neither discharge nor charge the second battery cell (see Fig. 8, step 812, and paras. 0042, 0053, 0073, and 0088). Regarding claim 4, Sidiropoulos et al teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to: based on the determination (see paras. 0043, 0048-0050, and 0081-0084), use system load (the external apparatus) to discharge the first battery cell (a first one of 220) more than the second battery cell (a second one of 220) and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, not use any system load to discharge the second battery cell (see Fig. 8, step 812, and paras. 0042, 0053, 0073, and 0088). Regarding claims 5, 13, and 18, Sidiropoulos et al teaches the device of Claim 4, the method of claim 12, and the CSRM of claim 17, wherein the instructions are executable to: based on the determination (see paras. 0043, 0048-0050, and 0081-0084), use system load (the external apparatus) to discharge the first battery cell (a first one of 220) more than the second battery cell (a second one of 220) and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, neither use any system load to discharge the second battery cell nor charge the second battery cell (see Fig. 8, step 812, and paras. 0042, 0053, 0073, and 0088). Regarding claims 6, 14, and 19, Sidiropoulos et al teaches the device of Claim 4, the method of claim 12, and the CSRM of claim 17, wherein the instructions are executable to: based on the determination (see paras. 0043, 0048-0050, and 0081-0084), use system load (the external apparatus) to discharge the first battery cell (a first one of 220) more than the second battery cell (a second one of 220) and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, not use any system load to discharge the second battery cell but charge the second battery cell (see Fig. 8, step 812, and paras. 0042, 0053, 0073, and 0088). Regarding claims 9, Sidiropoulos et al teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the processor is established by a gas gauge (based on applicant’s example of a “gas gauge” in para. 0051 of the specification, Sidiropoulos et al’s processor 206 can be interpreted as a “gas gauge”, since the processor 206 performs the cell balancing and charging functions, see paras. 0040, 0042-0045, 0048-0053). Regarding claim 10, Sidiropoulos et al teaches the device of Claim 1, wherein the first battery cell is a good battery cell (for example, a cell 220 with a high state of health, see paras. 0032, 0049-0050, 0078, and 0080), and wherein the second battery cell is a weak battery cell (for example, a cell 220 with a low state of health, see paras. 0032, 0049-0050, 0078, and 0080). Regarding claim 11, Sidiropoulos et al teaches the device of Claim 1, comprising the battery pack (since 202 comprises cells 220, see Fig. 2, this can be considered a battery pack) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 7, 8, 15, 16 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sidiropoulos et al (US 2023/0216213 A1) in view of Yebka et al (US 2018/0034283 A1) . Regarding claim claims 7, 8, 15, 16 and 20: The teachings of Sidiropoulos et al, as applied to claims 6, 4, the method of claims 14 and 12, and the CSRM of claim 17 have been discussed above. Sidiropoulos et al teaches that cells can be selectively charged or discharged concurrently (simultaneously, see (see Fig. 8, step 812, and paras. 0042, 0053, 0073, and 0088). Sidiropoulos et al does not specifically teach: (regarding claims 7, 15) incrementally charge the second battery cell by increasingly greater amounts; (regarding claim 8, 16) incrementally charge both the first battery cell and the second battery cell; (regarding claim 20) incrementally charge both the first battery cell and the second battery cell until a maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell is identified; and responsive to identifying the maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell, subsequently charge both the first and second battery cells to the maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell but not beyond the maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell. Yebka et al teaches a device, method, and computer readable storage medium (see paras. 0004-0006) where battery cells (cells of battery pack 191, see Fig. 1 and paras. 0032-0035) can be incrementally charged by increasingly greater amounts (see Fig. 3, steps 308 & 316, and paras. 0040-0051). Yebka et al teaches incrementally increasing the maximum charge potential (charging rate) until a maximum current charge potential has been reached (the maximum current charging potential/rate is identified by impedance threshold, step 304, and/or temperature threshold, step 312) and does not increment past the current maximum charging potential (see steps 306 and 316). In view of the teachings of Yebka et al, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date, to include with the device and method of Sidiropoulos et al, (regarding claims 7, 15) incrementally charge the second battery cell by increasingly greater amounts; (regarding claims 8, 16) incrementally charge both the first battery cell and the second battery cell, (regarding claim 20) incrementally charge both the first battery cell and the second battery cell until a maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell is identified; and responsive to identifying the maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell, subsequently charge both the first and second battery cells to the maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell but not beyond the maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell, since this would provide faster charging of the battery cell(s) while still providing safe operation . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ko (US 2023/0396082 A1); Liu et al (US 11,476,677 B2); Ha et al (US 2022/0294236 A1); Kristjansson et al (US 2020/0395765 A1); Coenen (US 10,833,513 B2); McEwan (US 10,630,083 B2); Kim (KR 20090014897 A); Hu (CN 112787373 A); Ono (JP 2023030862 A); and Takano (CN 110785888 B) all teach devices will multi battery/cell load balancing. Yebka (US 11,038,361 B2) teaches charging a battery at different rates. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jared Fureman whose telephone number is (571)272-2391. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. 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. /JARED FUREMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/351,475 Page 2 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/351,475 Page 3 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/351,475 Page 4 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/351,475 Page 5 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/351,475 Page 6 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/351,475 Page 8 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/351,475 Page 9 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/351,475 Page 10 Art Unit: 2859
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