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 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.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites the limitation “a hypothetical battery pack” it is unclear what is required by said the device does not appear to add any structure or operation to further limit the claim. Applicant should remove hypothetical limitations from the claims.
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gope et al. (US 20240319278) in view of Li et al. (US 20240219474).
With respect to claim 1 Gope teaches a modular battery cell test and battery pack verification system (see Fig. 1b and 7) for testing a battery cell and verifying a battery pack, comprising:
a cell battery test apparatus (see network of node controllers) comprising a plurality of cell test modules (see multiple node controller(s) seen for example in Fig. 1b) for performing tests on single battery cells (see for example 114), and for performing verification (paragraph 0103) on a virtual battery pack (formed with additional or multiple cells see unit paragraph 0074) in connection with said cell test modules (formed with additional or multiple cells see unit paragraph 0074);
a main control unit (702/150) for transmitting control signals (paragraph 0077, 168-170) for test and verification to said cell test modules; and
a main supply (see 190) supplying or recovering (balancing paragraph 0119) power discharged (paragraph 0169, 0140, 145) from said cell battery test apparatus.
Gope does not teach the nature of the main supply including a main battery. Li for example teaches the known use of a main battery (10) is connection with batter cells (Fig. 1-2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Gope to include the known use of a main battery for the benefit of efficiently test the battery cells (paragraph 0063).
With respect to claim 2 Gope teaches an isolation power supply (see DC converter circuitry shown in Fig. 1D) and single cell test circuit for providing independent power and performing predetermined cell tests on said single cell (see in-situ testing isolation for example paragraph 0182); and an input and output terminals (see for example Fig. 4) that receive control signals from said main control unit, transmit test results (see 414 or 412 and battery feedback data), and are hardware switched (161 or paragraph 0117, 124-125) according to series and parallel connection information after test completion.
With respect to claim 3 Gope teaches wherein said cell battery test apparatus causes a plurality of said cell test modules to be connected in an XY matrix manner (see vertical and horizontal orientation of cells shown in Fig. 1B or 7), and wherein module connections are controlled to avoid single cells (see during diagnostic or mitigation mode of operation) that are determined to be bad cells as a result of the test, thereby creating a packing combination for a virtual battery pack.
Claims 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gope.
With respect to claim 4 Gope teaches said main battery is connected to a bidirectional grid (see grid balancing paragraph 0067). Gope does not teach the inverter to enable power sharing with other systems. Inverters are a well-known means to interconnect with a grid. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Gope to include the know use of a inverter for the benefit of balancing with an AC grid.
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Gope.
With respect to claim 7 Gope teaches a cell test module for performing tests on battery cells, comprising: an isolation power supply (see 164) and single battery cell test circuit (see 160/167/168) for providing independent power and performing predetermined cell tests on said battery cells (see for example in Fig. 1B); a communication terminal (166) for receiving control signals from a main control unit (150) and transmitting test results (paragraph 0041, 0107,210); a module connection terminal connecting between a front module and a back module; a power terminal connecting VCC (Vnode+) and GND (Vnode-) for verification of a virtual battery pack (formed with additional or multiple cells see unit paragraph 0074); and a plurality of switches (161s, bypass switches and DC converter switches) controlling connections between said single cell, said isolation power supply and single cell test circuit, said module connection terminals, and said power terminals.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 and 8-11 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:
With respect to claim 5 Gope teaches the battery pack system however does not teach the further limitation a printer for printing at least one of cell information corresponding to said test results, and pack information corresponding to verification results for said virtual battery pack, in a form attachable to said single battery cell. At least this further limitation is not taught or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
With respect to claim 6 Gope teaches the battery pack system however does not teach the further limitation a laser marking apparatus that, upon completion of the test, rotates said single cell to directly imprint at least one of cell information corresponding to said test results, and pack information corresponding to verification results for said virtual battery pack, on a surface of said single cell. At least this further limitation is not taught or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
With respect to claims 8-11 Gope teaches said plurality of switches comprises, a first switch (161) interposed between a positive electrode of said battery cell and said isolation power supply and single cell test circuit however does not teach the detailed connection of switches includes a second switch (S2) interposed between a negative electrode of said battery cell and said isolation power supply and single cell test circuit; with a third switch (S3), a fourth switch (S4), a fifth switch (S5), and a sixth switch (S6) sequentially disposed between a first module connection terminal connecting to the front module and a second module connection terminal connecting to the back module; and a seventh switch (S7), an eighth switch (S8), a ninth switch (S9), and a tenth switch (S10) disposed sequentially between a VCC terminal and a GND terminal among said power terminals. At least this further limitation is not taught or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Fin whose telephone number is (571)272-5921. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30.
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MICHAEL FIN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/MICHAEL R. FIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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