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 .
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.
DETAILED ACTION
Claims status
Claims 1-22 are pending as the applicant filed on 08/25/2023.
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) 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by KUDO, WO 2016132895 A1, DATE PUBLISHED: 2016-08-25, CPC G01R 31/36.
Regarding claim 1:
KUDO described a voltage measurement device for use in a battery module system (abstract), the battery module system including: a first battery module including a plurality of first battery cells connected in series (page 3, fig. 2, battery in series); a busbar connected in series with the first battery module (fig. 2, connect to batteries); a second battery module connected in series with the first battery module via the busbar and including a plurality of second battery cells connected in series (page 3, fig. 2, battery in series); and a plurality of first RC filters and a plurality of second RC filters connected to at least one of the first battery module (abstract, fig. 2, RC filter 4), the busbar (fig. 2, battery connection), or the second battery module (fig. 2, multiple batteries 110a-110f), the voltage measurement device comprising: a first measurement circuit that measures voltage between both ends of the busbar (abstract, fig. 2, measurement unit 6); a second measurement circuit that measures voltage between both ends of each of the plurality of first battery cells and the plurality of second battery cells (page 7, fig. 2, measurement unit 6); and a correction circuit that corrects a measurement value measured by the second measurement circuit, wherein the second measurement circuit is connected to the plurality of first battery cells (page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2), the busbar, and the plurality of second battery cells via the plurality of second RC filters (fig. 2, unit 4), and the correction circuit corrects a measurement value measured by the second measurement circuit using a measurement value of voltage between both ends of the busbar measured by the first measurement circuit (page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 13:
KUDO described a voltage measurement device for use in a battery module system (abstract), the battery module system including: a first battery module including a plurality of first battery cells connected in series (page 3, fig. 2, battery in series); a busbar connected in series with the first battery module (fig. 2, connect to batteries); a second battery module connected in series with the first battery module via the busbar and including a plurality of second battery cells connected in series (page 3, fig. 2, battery in series); and a plurality of first RC filters and a plurality of second RC filters connected to at least one of the first battery module (abstract, fig. 2, RC filter 4), the busbar (fig. 2, battery connection), or the second battery module (fig. 2, multiple batteries 110a-110f), the voltage measurement device comprising: a first measurement circuit that measures voltage between both ends of each of the plurality of first battery cells (abstract, fig. 2, measurement unit 6), the busbar (fig. 2, battery connection), and the plurality of second battery cells; a second measurement circuit that measures voltage between both ends of each of the plurality of first battery cells (fig. 2, multiple batteries 110a-110f), the busbar (fig. 2, battery connection), and the plurality of second battery cells (fig. 2, multiple batteries 110a-110f); and a correction circuit that corrects a measurement value measured by the first measurement circuit (page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2), wherein a different one of the plurality of first RC filters is connected to each of anodes of the plurality of first battery cells and the plurality of second battery cells and each of connection points between the busbar and the first battery module (fig. 2, unit 4), a different one of the plurality of second RC filters is connected to each of cathodes of the plurality of first battery cells and the plurality of second battery cells (fig. 2, unit 4) and each of connection points between the busbar and the second battery module ,the first measurement circuit is connected to the plurality of first battery cells, the busbar (fig. 2, battery between connection), and the plurality of second battery cells via the plurality of first RC filters (fig. 2, unit 4), and the correction circuit corrects a measurement value measured by the first measurement circuit using a measurement value of voltage between both ends of the busbar measured by the first measurement circuit (page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2).
. Regarding claim 2, KUDO further described a different one of the plurality of first RC filters and a different one of the plurality of second RC filters are connected to each of connection points between the plurality of first battery cells, the busbar, and the plurality of second battery cells, which are connected in series (page 7, different time constant for RC filter, fig. 2, RC filter, page 3 in series).
Regarding claim 3, KUDO further described the first measurement circuit is connected to the plurality of first battery cells, the busbar, and the plurality of second battery cells via the plurality of first RC filters (fig. 2, RC filter).
Regarding claim 4, KUDO further described cell balance switch connected in parallel with the busbar via two second RC filters, among the plurality of second RC filters, that are connected to the busbar (fig. 2, battery, page 6, balance).
Regarding claim 5, KUDO further described a switch control circuit configured to keep the cell balance switch in an on state (page 6, switch open/close).
Regarding claim 6, KUDO further described wherein at least one of the first measurement circuit or the second measurement circuit detects a position at which the busbar is connected based on measurement values of voltage between both ends of each of the plurality of first battery cells, the busbar, and the plurality of second battery cells (page 6, can detect if is connected between battery or disconnect).
Regarding claim 7, KUDO further described a timing control circuit that synchronizes a timing at which the first measurement circuit measures voltage between both ends of the busbar and at least one of (i) a timing at which the second measurement circuit measures voltage between both ends of a first battery cell, among the plurality of first battery cells, that is directly connected to the busbar, or (ii) a timing at which the second measurement circuit measures voltage between both ends of a second battery cell, among the plurality of second battery cells, that is directly connected to the busbar (page 7, time constant of the RC filter)
Regarding claim 8, KUDO further described a diagnostic circuit that compares a measurement value measured by the first measurement circuit and a measurement value corrected by the correction circuit (fig. 2, RC filter, fig. 3, compares, page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, KUDO further described a first average filter that averages, over time, measurement values measured by first measurement circuit; and a second average filter that averages, over time, measurement values measured by second measurement circuit (page 3, average output voltage).
Regarding claim 10, KUDO further described wherein a difference between a combined filtering characteristic of the plurality of first RC filters, the first measurement circuit, and the first average filter (page 3, average output voltage) and a combined filtering characteristic of the plurality of second RC filters, the second measurement circuit, and the second average filter is lower than a difference between a combined filtering characteristic of the plurality of first RC filters and the first measurement circuit and a combined filtering characteristic of the plurality of second RC filters and the second measurement circuit (fig. 3, different output).
Regarding claim 11, KUDO further described wherein the correction circuit: calculates a correction amount based on the measurement value of voltage between both ends of the busbar measured by the first measurement circuit; and adds (page 8, adding) or subtracts the correction amount to or from a measurement value measured by the second measurement circuit of at least one of voltage between both ends of a first battery cell, among the plurality of first battery cells, that is directly connected to the busbar or voltage between both ends of a second battery cell, among the plurality of second battery cells, that is directly connected to the busbar (page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 12, KUDO further described wherein the second measurement circuit measures voltage between both ends of the busbar, and the correction circuit calculates the correction amount based on the measurement value of voltage between both ends of the busbar measured by the first measurement circuit and a measurement value of voltage between both ends of the busbar measured by the second measurement circuit (page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 14, KUDO further described wherein the second measurement circuit is connected to the plurality of first battery cells, the busbar, and the plurality of second battery cells via the plurality of first RC filters and the plurality of second RC filters (fig. 2, RC filter).
Regarding claim 15, KUDO further described a cell balance switch connected in parallel with the busbar via a second RC filter (fig. 2, RC parallel with time constant), among the plurality of second RC filters, that is connected to a connection point between the busbar and the first battery module, and a first RC filter, among the plurality of first RC filters, that is connected to a connection point between the busbar and the second battery module (fig. 2, RC filter, battery 110a-110f).
Regarding claim 16, KUDO further described a switch control circuit configured to keep the cell balance switch in an on state (page 6, switch open/close).
Regarding claim 17, KUDO further described wherein at least one of the first measurement circuit or the second measurement circuit detects a position at which the busbar is connected based on measurement values of voltage between both ends of each of the plurality of first battery cells, the busbar, and the plurality of second battery cells page 6, can detect if is connected between battery or disconnect).
Regarding claim 18, KUDO further described a timing control circuit that synchronizes a timing at which the first measurement circuit measures voltage between both ends of the busbar and at least one of (i) a timing at which the second measurement circuit measures voltage between both ends of a first battery cell, among the plurality of first battery cells, that is directly connected to the busbar (page 7, time constant of the RC filter), or (ii) a timing at which the second measurement circuit measures voltage between both ends of a second battery cell, among the plurality of second battery cells, that is directly connected to the busbar.
Regarding claim 19, KUDO further described a diagnostic circuit that compares a measurement value corrected by the correction circuit and a measurement value measured by the second measurement circuit fig. 2, RC filter, fig. 3, compares, page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 20, KUDO further described a first average filter that averages, over time, measurement values measured by first measurement circuit; and a second average filter that averages, over time, measurement values measured by second measurement circuit (page 3, average output voltage).
Regarding claim 21, KUDO further described wherein a difference between a combined filtering characteristic of the plurality of first RC filters (page 7, different time constant for RC filter, fig. 2, RC filter, page 3 in series), the first measurement circuit, and the first average filter and a combined filtering characteristic of the plurality of first RC filters (fig. 3, different result), the plurality of second RC filters, the second measurement circuit, and the second average filter is lower than a difference between a combined filtering characteristic of the plurality of first RC filters and the first measurement circuit (page 7, different time constant for RC filter, fig. 2, RC filter, page 3 in series) and a combined filtering characteristic of the plurality of first RC filters, the plurality of second RC filters and the second measurement circuit (page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 22, KUDO further described wherein the correction circuit: calculates a correction amount based on the measurement value of voltage between both ends of the busbar measured by the first measurement circuit and a measurement value of voltage between both ends of the busbar measured by the second measurement circuit (page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2).; and adds (page 8, adding) or subtracts the correction amount to or from a measurement value measured by the first measurement circuit of voltage between both ends of a second battery cell, among the plurality of second battery cells, that is directly connected to the busbar (page 7, correction unit 6, fig. 2, fig. 3).
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. Contact information
4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tung Lau whose telephone number is (571)272-2274, email is Tungs.lau@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Tuesday-Friday 7:00 AM-5:00 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TURNER SHELBY, can be reached on 571-272-6334. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TUNG S LAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857
Technology Center 2800
November 6, 2025
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