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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because. Figure 14, 15A, 15B, 18 are missing “F” from the word “FIG.” Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraph 00147, line 1 delete “100” and replace it with –1100--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CHO et al. (US 2021/0111570) (“CHO”).
With respect to claim 1, CHO discloses a charging control integrated circuit comprising: a direct charging circuit connected to an external system load (figures 1 and 2 disclose a charging IC with a direct charger 113 that is connected to a load 120); a first current limiting circuit connected between a first external battery and the direct charging circuit, and configured to operate in response to a first charging control signal (figure 2, paragraph 0034 discloses an interrupt control logic (ICL) 111 to control the input power based on the load); and a control circuit configured to control the first charging control signal based on a system voltage corresponding to the external system load and a first battery voltage of the first external battery (control circuit 112 controls the operation of the charging IC), wherein, when the external system load occurs while the first external battery is charged, the control circuit controls the first charging control signal so that a first voltage difference between the system voltage corresponding to the external system load and the first battery voltage of the first external battery is maintained at a reference level. Paragraphs 0034-0035 discloses that the charging IC provides power to system load 120 and charges the battery simultaneously, control circuit 112 controls the voltage/current such that it never exceeds a defined safety threshold.
With respect to claim 15, CHO discloses a charging control integrated circuit comprising: a current limiting circuit configured to limit a charging current to an external battery or a discharging current from the external battery in response to a charging control signal (figure 2, paragraph 0034 discloses an interrupt control logic (ICL) 111 to control the input power based on the load); and a control circuit configured to control the charging control signal based on a battery voltage of the external battery (control circuit 112 controls the operation of the charging IC), wherein, when a system voltage of an external system load connected to the charging control integrated circuit is lower than the battery voltage of the external battery, the control circuit controls the charging control signal so that a voltage difference between the system voltage and the battery voltage is maintained at a reference level. Paragraphs 0034-0035 discloses that the charging IC provides power to system load 120 and charges the battery simultaneously, control circuit 112 controls the voltage/current such that it never exceeds a defined safety threshold.
With respect to claim 16, CHO discloses the charging control integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the control circuit is configured to: when the battery voltage of the external battery does not reach a reference voltage, control the charging control signal so that the external battery is charged based on a constant current mode; and when the battery voltage of the external battery reaches the reference voltage, control the charging control signal so that the external battery is charged based on a constant voltage mode. Paragraphs 0006-0007 and figure 5 discloses using a CC section when the SoC of the battery is low and using a CV section when the SoC of the battery reaches a reference level.
With respect to claim 17, CHO discloses the charging control integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the control circuit is configured to: when the system voltage of the external system load is higher than the battery voltage of the external battery, control the charging control signal so that the external battery is charged based on the constant voltage mode. Figure 5 and paragraphs 0006-007 discloses that when the battery voltage is at Vmax (no power draw from the load), the battery is charged based on the CV section.
With respect to claim 18, CHO discloses an operation method of a charging control integrated circuit which includes a current limiting circuit configured to limit a charging current provided to an external battery (figure 2, paragraph 0034 discloses an interrupt control logic (ICL) 111 to control the input power based on the load), the method comprising: performing a charging operation on the external battery based on a constant voltage mode (figure 5 discloses performing a CV voltage charring mode); when a system voltage of an external system load connected to the charging control integrated circuit is lower than a battery voltage of the external battery, controlling a charging control signal provided to the current limiting circuit so that a voltage difference between the system voltage and the battery voltage maintains a constant level (paragraphs 0034-0035 discloses that the charging IC provides power to system load 120 and charges the battery simultaneously, control circuit 112 controls the voltage/current such that it never exceeds a defined safety threshold); and when the system voltage is higher than the battery voltage, controlling a voltage of the charging control signal so that the battery voltage of the external battery has a constant level (Figure 5 and paragraphs 0006-007 discloses that when the battery voltage is at Vmax the battery is charged based on the CV section).
With respect to claim 19, CHO discloses the method of claim 18, wherein the current limiting circuit limits the charging current in response to the charging control signal. Figure 2, paragraphs 0035-0036 disclose control circuit 112 controls the operation of the ICL 111.
With respect to claim 20, CHO discloses the method of claim 18, wherein, when the system voltage of the external system load connected to the charging control integrated circuit is lower than the battery voltage of the external battery, a discharging current is provided from the external battery to the system load. Paragraphs 0023-0024 discloses that based on the power demand of load 120 the charging IC and the battery provided power to the load.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 2 is allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art of record does not disclose wherein the control circuit comprises: a constant voltage mode control circuit configured to control the first charging control signal so that the first external battery is charged in a constant voltage mode; a constant current mode control circuit configured to control the first charging control signal so that the first external battery is charged in a constant current mode; and a supplement mode control circuit, wherein, when the external system load occurs, the supplement mode control circuit is configured to control the first charging control signal so that the first voltage difference of the system voltage and the first battery voltage is maintained at the reference level.
Claim 13 is allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art of record does not disclose a second current limiting circuit connected between a second external battery and the direct charging circuit, and configured to operate in response to a second charging control signal, wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the second charging control signal based on the system voltage of the external system load and a second battery voltage of the second external battery.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. TAKENAKA (US 2019/0148955) discloses a power supply device for supplying power to a load and a battery.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLOS AMAYA whose telephone number is (571)272-8941. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00AM-4:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taelor Kim can be reached at (571) 270-7166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CARLOS AMAYA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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