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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: It appears that claim 4, line 2, should be amended as follows “… states of charge in [[the]] all batteries …” to correct a typographical error. 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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chang (US 2023/0187949 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chang teaches (see Figs. 1 & 2) a control apparatus (battery balancing device/master BMS 200) for a plurality of batteries (battery packs 111-114) included in a vehicle (see para. 0048), the plurality of batteries being connected in parallel (see Fig. 1 and para. 0049), the control apparatus comprising: an acquisition section (detection device 220) that acquires each state of charge of the plurality of batteries (see para. 0057); and a control section (processing device 250) that determines, among the plurality of batteries, one or more batteries to be discharged (a discharging target battery pack) and one or more batteries to be charged (a charging target battery pack), the one or more batteries to be discharged supplying power to an external load for driving the vehicle (for example, during the driving balancing mode, the batteries to be discharged supply power to an external load for driving the vehicle, see paras. 0063-0065 and 0070), the one or more batteries to be charged being charged by an external power supply provided outside the vehicle (for example, during the charging balancing mode, the batteries to be charged are connected to an external charger, see paras. 0063-0066 and 0069), wherein the control section determines the one or more batteries to be discharged from the plurality of batteries except for a low-remaining-amount battery, and determines the one or more batteries to be charged from the plurality of batteries including the low-remaining-amount battery, the low-remaining-amount battery being, among the plurality of batteries, a battery in which the state of charge is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (for example, the threshold may be considered the state of charge (SOC) of the low SOC battery, see Figs. 1-8 and, at least, paras. 0048-0073).
Regarding claim 2, Chang teaches the control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where each of the states of charge in all batteries of the plurality of batteries is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold (for example, the state of charge (SOC) of the lower SOC battery packs), the control section executes control such that the all batteries are determined as batteries as objects to be connected, the objects to be connected being connected to the external load (see, for example, Fig. 5 which shows that when the SOC of battery pack 510 reaches the same lower SOC as battery packs 520, 530 and 540, all of the battery packs will be connected to the external load for driving the vehicle, see paras. 0083.
Regarding claim 3, Chang teaches the control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection section (the portion of processing device 250 that receives measurement data from the detection device 220, see Fig. 2 and para. 0057) that detects states of the plurality of batteries, wherein the control section controls an operation of the vehicle according to a detection result of the detection section (see paras. 0060-0065).
Regarding claim 5, Chang teaches a vehicle, comprising: the control apparatus according to claim 1; and the plurality of batteries (see Figs. 1 & 2 and paras. 0048, 0049 and 0055).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang (US 2023/0187949 A1) in view of Deng et al (US 2019/0168632 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Chang teaches the control apparatus according to claim 3, as discussed above.
Chang does not specifically teach: wherein in a case where each of the states of charge in the all batteries of the plurality of batteries is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the control section executes control such that it is notified that the vehicle is incapable of traveling.
Deng et al teaches a control apparatus (control module 40 integrated into a battery management system, see Figs. 5 & 6 and para. 0058) for an electric vehicle having multiple battery packs (battery modules 11), wherein in a case where each of the states of charge in all batteries of the plurality of batteries is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold (the state where step S107 is YES, see Fig. 7), the control section executes control such that it is notified that the vehicle is incapable of traveling (see step S108, Fig. 7 and paras. 0069 & 0070).
In view of the teachings of Deng 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 apparatus of Chang, wherein in a case where each of the states of charge in the all batteries of the plurality of batteries is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the control section executes control such that it is notified that the vehicle is incapable of traveling, since this would prevent the batteries from being discharged past a safe discharge level and let the vehicle driver know that the batteries must be charged, thereby extending the life of the battery packs.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the additional references cited on the attached PTO-892, which are directed to vehicle battery management and charging systems.
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
Prosecution Insights