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 .
Specification
The specification is objected to under 37 CFR 1.71(a) because it contains inconsistent and unclear statements that should be corrected.
¶[0034] states that the charging condition setter 21 stores and overwrites the rapid charging start SOC value but does not identify the value with which it is overwritten, whereas ¶[0050] states that the charge controller 22 performs the overwriting.
¶s[0036 and 0037] refer to “fourth Step 4” and “fifth Step 5,” which should be amended to “Step S4” and “Step S5”.
¶[0051] states that the second charging condition “does not include rapid charging,” contrary to ¶s[0010, 0018, 0043] and claims 2 and 6, which describe rapid charging under the second condition at a lower current.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 - 6 are objected to because the phrase “a rapid charging start SOC value being an SOC value of the battery at a time of previously starting rapid charging by an external power source” is grammatically unclear. Applicant should amend the phrase to clarify that the rapid charging start SOC value is the SOC value of the battery when rapid charging by the external power source was previously started.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as indefinite because the limitation “a rapid charging current value lower than in the first charging condition” does not clearly identify the value against which the rapid charging current value is compared. The first charging condition may contain different permitted current values for different SOC intervals, as shown in Table 1. It is therefore unclear whether the second condition must have a lower value for every corresponding SOC interval, a lower maximum value, or merely one value lower than one of the values in the first condition.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as indefinite because the limitation “resets the rapid charging start SOC value” does not define what operation constitutes resetting the value. It is unclear whether resetting requires deleting or invalidating the previously stored value, setting the value to zero or another default value, or overwriting it with the current or newly detected SOC value. ¶s[0034 and 0050] clearly distinguish between “resetting” and “overwriting” the rapid charging start SOC value. Applicant should expressly state the intended operation of the stored rapid charging start SOC value.
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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 -6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated over Abe et al. (U.S. 20190363546).
Regarding Independent Claim 1, Abe teaches the following:
A charge control device (Fig. 1 – charging control device 14, abstract), comprising:
a charging condition setter (Fig. 1 – charging control unit 20 and storage unit 22) that compares a State of Charge (SOC) actual value being a current SOC value of a battery (Fig. 6 -S1; ¶’s[23 and 61] discloses that in the first step S1, the state of charge detection unit 18 detects the state of charge of the secondary battery 12 when charging is initiated {current SOC value})
with a rapid charging start SOC value being an SOC value of the battery at a time of previously starting rapid charging by an external power source (¶[37-38] disclose of the charging control unit 20 setting a plurality of charging patterns CP, setting reference states of charge when the SOC at the time that charging is initiated is 30% (CP1), 50% (CP2), and 70% (CP3), respectively {the reference states of charge is interpreted as SOC value at a time of previously starting rapid charging}; ¶’s[19, 21] disclose that the secondary battery charging system 10 is a system that performs rapid charging … of the secondary battery 12. The first power supply unit 16 is a high voltage commercial power supply which is used at a time of rapid charging);
and sets a first charging condition when the SOC actual value is equal to or less than the rapid charging start SOC value (¶37-39] disclose that the charging control unit 20 sets a plurality of charging patterns CP, sets reference states of charge when the SOC at the time that charging is initiated is 30% (CP1), 50% (CP2), and 70% (CP3), respectively and from among the three charging patterns, selects and uses the charging pattern CP for which the reference state of charge is closest and higher than the SOC of the secondary battery when charging is initiated)
and a charge controller (Fig. 1 – charging control unit 20) that charges the battery under a charging condition that is set by the charging condition setter (¶[25] disclose that the charging control unit 20, uses the at least one charging pattern CP that is stored in the storage unit 22, and by adjusting the current from the power supply unit, controls the charging current that is supplied to the secondary battery 12).
Regarding dependent Claim 2, Abe teaches the following:
when the SOC actual value is higher than the rapid charging start SOC value, the charging condition setter sets a second charging condition (¶’s[37-39, 63] disclose that when the SOC of the secondary battery … is greater than or equal to 0% and less than or equal to 30%, the charging control unit 20 selects charging pattern CP1. When the SOC … is greater than 30% and less than or equal to 50%, the charging control unit 20 selects … CP2. When the SOC … is greater than 50% and less than or equal to 70%, the charging control unit 20 selects … CP3)
with a rapid charging current value lower than in the first charging condition (¶[30] discloses that Li ion deposition tends to easily occur as the SOC becomes higher. In order to suppress the deposition, the charging current is reduced in accordance with an increase in the SOC. ¶’s[39, 45, 50] disclose that in the charging pattern CP1, the charging current becomes a constant current I1 when the SOC lies within a range of 30 to 50%, the charging current becomes a constant current I2 (<I1) when the SOC lies within a range of 50 to 70%, and the charging current becomes a constant current I3 (<I2) when the SOC lies within a range of 70 to 100%).
Regarding dependent Claim 3, Abe teaches of the SOC actual value being equal to or less than the rapid charging start SOC value (¶[42, 82-83] discloses of a case when the SOC of the secondary battery {SOC actual value} … is 0 to 30%, the charging control unit uses the charging pattern CP1 whose reference state of charge is 30% {rapid charging start SOC value});
the charging condition setter resets the rapid charging start SOC value and sets the first charging condition (¶[42] disclose that the charging control unit 20 shifts the charging pattern CP1 to the side where the SOC becomes lower (FIG. 4), so that the reference state of charge of the charging pattern CP1 coincides {or resets} with the SOC of the secondary battery when charging is initiated {first charging condition}, and controls the charging current in accordance with the charging pattern CP1s after having been shifted).
Regarding dependent Claim 4, Abe teaches an electricity storage system (Fig.1 – secondary battery charging system 10), comprising:
a battery (Fig. 1 – secondary battery 12);
an SOC acquirer that acquires an SOC value of the battery (Fig. 1 – a state of charge detection unit 18; ¶’s[22-23] discloses of the state of charge detection unit detecting an state of charge (SOC) of the secondary battery);
and a charge control device for the battery (Fig. 1 – charge control device 14).
Regarding dependent Claim 5, Abe teaches of the battery being a lithium secondary battery having a negative electrode allowing metallic lithium to be deposited by charging (¶[20] mentions of a lithium ion battery being used as the secondary battery. ¶[30] discloses of precipitation of Li metal on the negative electrode surface in the lithium ion battery).
Regarding independent Claim 6, Abe teaches
A charging method, comprising (Fig. 6 – charging method):
a comparison step of comparing a State of Charge (SOC) actual value being a current SOC value of a battery (Fig. 6 -S1; ¶’s[23 and 61] discloses of the state of charge detection unit 18 detecting the SOC of a secondary battery when charging is initiated {current SOC value})
with a rapid charging start SOC value being an SOC value of the battery at a time of previously starting rapid charging by an external power source (¶[37-38] disclose of detecting starting SOC values with a plurality of reference starting SOC values with charging patterns CP1-CP3. ¶’s[19, 21] disclose that the first power supply unit 16 is a high voltage commercial power supply which is used at a time of rapid charging);
a charging condition setting step of setting a first charging condition when the SOC actual value is equal to or less than the rapid charging start SOC value (Fig. 6 – S3; ¶’s[37-39] disclose that the charging control unit 20 sets a plurality of charging patterns (CP1-CP3) and selects the charging pattern for which the reference SOC is closest and higher than the current SOC of the secondary battery)
and setting a second charging condition with a rapid charging current value lower than in the first charging condition, when the SOC actual value is higher than the rapid charging start SOC value (In ¶’s[37-39, 63] Abe selects CP2 or CP3 when the actual starting SOC value exceeds the reference-SOC value; ¶’s[39, 45, 50] disclose that the constant current I2, associated with CP2 is smaller than the constant current I1, associated with CP1 (I2 < I1). Similarly, I3<I2, associated with their respective charge patterns);
and a charging step of charging the battery under a charging condition that is set in the charging condition setting step (¶[25] disclose that the charging control unit 20, selects at least one charging pattern CP, and by adjusting the current from the power supply unit, controls the charging current that is supplied to the secondary battery).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Namiki et al. (U.S. 20190044361) discloses of an electric power system, including: a battery, capable of charge by electric power and discharge to an electric load; an engine control unit (ECU) setting an SOC target value of the battery for each driving cycle, and controlling the charge and discharge of the battery so that the SOC of the battery becomes the SOC target value. The ECU sets the SOC target value in a normal mode when a starting SOC value in the most recent past driving cycle is lower than an ending SOC value, and sets the SOC target value in a degeneration suppression mode when the starting SOC value is greater than the ending SOC value continuously for two most recent driving cycles (abstract).
Miyashita (U.S. 20160046292) discloses of a charge control device for a battery is mounted on a vehicle where a charge controller that is configured to control charging into the battery, and a SOC detector configured to detect a state of charge (SOC) of the battery. wherein in response to detection of a state change from a state in which a magnitude of the load is smaller than a predetermined threshold value to a state in which a magnitude of the load is larger than the predetermined threshold value, the charge controller controls a generated voltage by a generator based on the magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery prior to the state change during a time period until a specified time has elapsed after the detection of the state change, and the charge controller controls a generated voltage by the generator based on a magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery detected by the load condition detector during a time period after elapse of the specified time (abstract).
Hashimoto (U.S. 20150048795) discloses of a charge control apparatus which includes a charger to which a plurality of batteries is connected in parallel. It further includes a plurality of current detectors that detect charging currents flowing within batteries, and output the detected current values; a maximum value detector that selects the maximum value from among the output values of current detectors, and outputs the selected value; and a controller that controls the output voltage of charger such that the output value of maximum value detector matches a setting value.
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/TAWHID M PRANTO/Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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