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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I: charging method (claims 1-20) in the reply filed on 07/30/2026 is acknowledged.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 07/30/2026 has been entered. Claims 11-20 have been newly added. No claims have been cancelled. Therefore, claims 1-20 remain pending in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/28/2023, 07/15/2204 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5, 12-13, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Finberg et al. US 2011/0057617 (hereinafter Finberg).
Regarding claim 1, Finberg discloses a charging method for charging a plurality of rechargeable battery cells (abstract and fig. 3, 6, elements 302a, 304a, 306a…) connected in series (¶ 0008; the series connection of cells includes the subset of cells),
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wherein each rechargeable battery cell among the plurality of rechargeable battery cells has a first electrode and a second electrode (see reproduced figure 3 above; positive electrode and negative electrode),
the first electrode (positive electrode of cell 302a) is electrically coupled to a corresponding first relay (302b and ¶ 0023; the bypass switch 108 may be implemented as any type of switch known in the art, such as a solid-state transistor-based switch or a relay), and the second electrode (negative electrode of the cell) is electrically coupled to a corresponding second relay (304b),
the charging method (see fig. 4, step 406; CREATE A NON-CONTIGUOUS SERIES CONNECTION OF CELLS THAT INCLUDES THE SUBSET OF CELLS) comprising steps include:
turning off all of the second relays corresponding to the plurality of rechargeable battery cells (see reproduced fig. 3 below; all the 2nd relays/switches are switched to the bypass mode, and the corresponding battery cells are bypassed); turning on all of the first relays corresponding to the plurality of rechargeable battery cells (see reproduced fig. 3 below; the non-contiguous groups of cells (304a, 308a, 312a) are connected in series);
charging the plurality of rechargeable battery cells which are electrically coupled in series (only 304a, 308a, 312a are coupled in series via the relays or switches) through the turned-on corresponding first relays (¶ 0032 and fig. 4, step 408; the series connection of cells is then charged); and
in response to detecting that a voltage of a rechargeable battery cell among the plurality of rechargeable battery cells has reached a pre-set voltage value (¶ 0041; when the cell reaches its max voltage), turning off the corresponding first relay to disconnect and stop charging the rechargeable battery cell (¶ 0041; once a cell reaches its maximum charge V max, it is removed from the series connection of cells that is being charged), and
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turning on the corresponding second relay (302b, 306b, 310b) to continue charging one or more remaining rechargeable battery cells (302a, 306a, 310a) among the plurality of rechargeable battery cells through the turned-on second relay (¶ 0041; until a cell reaches its maximum charge Vmax, it is removed from the series connection of cells that is being charged).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Finberg discloses the charging method further comprising: in response to detecting that a voltage of a rechargeable battery cell among the plurality of rechargeable battery cells has not reached the pre-set voltage value (¶ 0041; the cells are tested for reaching their maximum voltage, once a cell reaches its maximum charge V max, it is removed from the series connection of cells that is being charged), continuing charging the rechargeable battery cell (¶ 0041; in general, the lowest-charged cells are continually identified and charged) through the turned-on corresponding first relay (Turning on relays 304b, 308b, 312b when the battery cells 304a, 308a, 312a have not been reached the voltage maximum).
Regarding claims 5 and 16, Finberg discloses wherein the pre-set voltage value is a nominal voltage of a fully charged rechargeable battery cel (¶ 0024; 4.1 volts for a
lithium-polymer ("LiP") cell).
Regarding claim 13, Finberg discloses the charging method further comprising:
in response to determining that all of the first relays corresponding to the plurality of rechargeable battery cells have not been turned-off (¶ 0041, when a cell does not reach its maximum charge voltage, the corresponding switch is still turned ON),
returning to checking whether the voltage of each of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells has reached the pre-set voltage value (¶ 0041; the lowest-charged cells are continually identified and charged, all cells will be close to or at full charge).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 3, 6-7, 11, 15, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Finberg et al. US 2011/0057617 (hereinafter Finberg) in view of Hardy (US 2017/0214256).
Regarding claim 3, Finberg discloses the charging method further comprising: in response to all of the first relays (304b, 308b, 312b) corresponding to the plurality of rechargeable battery cells (304a, 308a, 312a) having been turned-off, ending the charging of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells (see fig. 3 above, bypassing the battery cells 304a, 308a, 312a).
However, Finberg fails to teach the method includes ending the charging of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells in response to a charging current being smaller than a minimal current.
Hardy further discloses the method includes ending the charging of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells in response to a charging current being smaller than a minimal current (¶¶ 0068, 0070; The battery charging controller is preferably arranged to control charging of the battery using an initial charging current controlled charging phase followed by a charging voltage-controlled phase, and terminating charging
during the charging voltage-controlled phase when said charging current falls below a first threshold/ it is between 70% and 90% of the charging current and more preferably between 75% and 85% of the charging current at the start of the charging voltage-controlled phase [minimal current value]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Finberg to incorporate with the teaching of Hardy by terminating charging phase when the charging current falls below a first threshold, because it would be advantageous to reduce the risk of overcharging individual cells and further extend the service life of all battery cells.
Regarding claim 6, Finberg in view of Hardy discloses wherein the pre-set percentage value is 1~ 99% (Hardy, ¶ 0070; between 70% and 90% of the charging current and more preferably between 75% and 85% of the charging current at the start of the charging voltage-controlled phase).
Regarding claims 7 and 15, Finberg discloses wherein the pre-set percentage value is 80% (Hardy, ¶ 0070; between 70% and 90% of the charging current and more preferably between 75% and 85% of the charging current at the start of the charging voltage-controlled phase).
Regarding claim 11, Finberg discloses a charging method for charging a plurality of rechargeable battery cells (abstract and fig. 3, 6, elements 302a, 304a, 306a…) connected in series (¶ 0008; the series connection of cells includes the subset of cells),
wherein each rechargeable battery cell among the plurality of rechargeable battery cells has a first electrode and a second electrode (see reproduced figure 3 above; positive electrode and negative electrode),
the first electrode (positive electrode of cell 302a) is electrically coupled to a corresponding first relay (302b and ¶ 0023; the bypass switch 108 may be implemented as any type of switch known in the art, such as a solid-state transistor-based switch or a relay), and the second electrode (negative electrode of the cell) is electrically coupled to a corresponding second relay (304b),
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the charging method (see fig. 4, step 406; CREATE A NON-CONTIGUOUS SERIES CONNECTION OF CELLS THAT INCLUDES THE SUBSET OF CELLS) comprising:
turning off all of the second relays corresponding to the plurality of rechargeable battery cells (see reproduced fig. 3 below; all the 2nd relays/switches are switched to the bypass mode, and the corresponding battery cells are bypassed); turning on all of the first relays corresponding to the plurality of rechargeable battery cells (see reproduced fig. 3 below; the non-contiguous groups of cells (304a, 308a, 312a) are connected in series);
charging the plurality of rechargeable battery cells which are electrically coupled in series (only 304a, 308a, 312a are coupled in series via the relays or switches) through the turned-on corresponding first relays (¶ 0032 and fig. 4, step 408; the series connection of cells is then charged);
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checking whether a voltage of each of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells has reached a pre-set voltage value (¶¶ 0040-0041; the voltages across the cells may be monitored during charging, and the cells in the series connection may be removed
from or added to the series connection as necessary);
in response to the checking indicating that the voltage of a rechargeable battery cell among the plurality of rechargeable battery cells has reached a pre-set voltage value (¶ 0041; when the cell reaches its max voltage), turning off the corresponding first relay to disconnect and stop charging the rechargeable battery cell (¶ 0041; once a cell reaches its maximum charge V max, it is removed from the series connection of cells that is being charged), and
turning on the corresponding second relay (302b, 306b, 310b) to continue charging one or more remaining rechargeable battery cells (302a, 306a, 310a) among the plurality of rechargeable battery cells through the turned-on second relay (¶ 0041; until a cell reaches its maximum charge Vmax, it is removed from the series connection of cells that is being charged);
determining whether all of the first relays (304b, 308b, 312b) corresponding to the plurality of rechargeable battery cells (304a, 308a, 312a) have been turned-off (¶ 0041; once a cell reaches its maximum charge V max, it is removed from the series connection of cells that is being charged);
in response to all of the first relays (304b, 308b, 312b) corresponding to the plurality of rechargeable battery cells (304a, 308a, 312a) having been turned-off, ending the charging of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells (see fig. 3 above, bypassing the battery cells 304a, 308a, 312a).
However, Finberg fails to teach the method includes ending the charging of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells in response to a charging current being smaller than a minimal current.
Hardy further discloses the method includes ending the charging of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells in response to a charging current being smaller than a minimal current (¶¶ 0068, 0070; the battery charging controller is preferably arranged to control charging of the battery using an initial charging current controlled charging phase followed by a charging voltage-controlled phase, and terminating charging
during the charging voltage-controlled phase when said charging current falls below a first threshold/ it is between 70% and 90% of the charging current and more preferably between 75% and 85% of the charging current at the start of the charging voltage-controlled phase [minimal current value]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Finberg to incorporate with the teaching of Hardy by terminating charging phase when the charging current falls below a first threshold, because it would be advantageous to reduce the risk of overcharging individual cells and further extend the service life of all battery cells.
Regarding claim 17, Finberg discloses the pre-set voltage value can be 4.1 V in ¶ 0024. However, Finberg does not disclose wherein the pre-set voltage value is 3.65V. To choose the pre-set voltage value is 3.65V, does not show any criticality, is only considered to be the “optimum” value of the pre-set voltage value, as stated above, that a person having ordinary skill in the art would have been able to determine using routine experimentation based, among other things, on the desired accuracy and since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art in order to avoid overcharging the battery pack and prolong the service life of the battery pack. See In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980) and MPEP 2144.04 and 2144.05.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 8-10, 14, 18-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 4 and 14, the prior art fails to teach or suggest further inclusion of the charging method further comprising: in response to all of the first relays corresponding to the plurality of rechargeable battery cells having been turned-off and a charging current being not smaller than a minimal current, decreasing the charging current to a pre-set percentage value, and then repeating operations comprising turning off all of the second relays, turning on all of the first relays, and charging the plurality of rechargeable battery cells which are electrically coupled in series through the turned-on corresponding first relays.
Regarding claims 8 and 18, the prior art fails to teach or suggest further inclusion of wherein for each rechargeable battery cell among the plurality of rechargeable battery cells, a first end of the corresponding first relay is electrically coupled to a first end of the corresponding second relay, the first electrode is electrically coupled to a second end of the corresponding first relay, and the second electrode is electrically coupled to a second end of the corresponding second relay all of the second relays are electrically connected in series between a first electrode of a power supply and a second electrode of the power supply.
Claims 9-10, 19-20 are objected for the reasons as claims 8 or 18 from which they depend.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIXUAN ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)272-6739. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached at (571) 272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZIXUAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 08/20/2026
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