CTNF 18/478,161 CTNF 90537 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/29/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. Drawings 06-36 AIA The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “flying capacitor” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance. Specification 07-29 AIA The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: On page 13, line 7, delete “behaviour” and replace with “behavior” On page 15, line 13, delete “effected” and replace with “affected” Appropriate correction is required. Claim Objections 07-29-01 AIA Claim s 2-3, 9, 18 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 2, line 3, delete “a controller that is” and replace with “a controller is” In claim 9, line 4, delete “a clock” and replace with “the clock” In claim 18, line 3, delete “a clock” and replace with “the clock” In claim 20, line 3, delete “a clock” and replace with “the clock” Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1-2, 4, 10-13, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kudo et al. US Pub 2016/0303977 (hereinafter Kudo) in view of Kawamoto (US 2017/0033684) . Regarding claims 1 and 13, Kudo discloses a charge pump control system for a battery management system (abstract; a battery monitoring system), wherein: the battery management system comprises: a plurality of cell-balancing-switches (fig. 3, elements BS1 to BS6), one for each of a plurality of battery cells (BC1 to BC6), wherein each cell-balancing-switch is in parallel with a respective one of the battery cells (BS1 is in parallel with BC1; see fig. 3); a switch-driver (fig. 3, element 132), one for each of the cell-balancing-switches (the discharge control circuit includes a plurality of control signal lines, and each control signal line is connected to each corresponding switch [BS1 to BS6]), wherein the switch-driver is for providing drive signal to selectively close the cell-balancing-switches ( ¶ 0083; The opening and closing of these balancing switches BS1 through BS6 is controlled by the discharge control circuit 132 ); and a charge pump (fig. 3, element 123) that is configured to provide an output voltage to the switch-driver (¶ 0083; a command signal (output voltage) for making continuous the balancing switch that corresponds to a battery cell that should be discharged is sent from the IC control circuit 123 to the discharge control circuit 132). Kudo fails to teach the system includes a plurality of switch-drivers, wherein each switch-driver is for providing a drive signal to selectively close a respective one of the cell-balancing-switches; wherein the charge pump is operable at a switching frequency that sets the maximum output current; wherein the charge pump control system is configured to set the switching frequency of the charge pump based on the number of switch-drivers that are providing their respective cell-balancing-switches with a drive signal to close the cell-balancing- switch. However, Kawamoto discloses a switching element driving circuit includes a charge pump circuit and a drive voltage generating circuit in abstract. Kawamoto further discloses the charge pump can be operable at a switching frequency (when the maximum of the switching frequency is around 30 MHz) that sets the maximum output current (¶¶ 0010, 0012-0013, 0029 and claim 6); and wherein the control system of Kawamoto is configured to set the switching frequency of the charge pump (claims 6, 8; the charge pump circuit is commonly provided for the plurality of drive voltage generating circuits. The frequency variation unit increases the switching frequency as the number of the voltage-driven switching elements simultaneously driven increases) based on the number of switch-drivers that are providing their respective switching elements with a drive signal to close the switching elements (claim 6; the control circuit includes a frequency variation unit that varies the switching frequency of the charge pump circuit according to a number of the voltage-driven switching elements that are simultaneously driven ). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kudo to incorporate with the teaching of Kawamoto by setting the switching frequency of the charge pump based on the number of the voltage-driven switching elements that are simultaneously driven as suggested by Kawamoto, because it would be advantageous to reduce power consumption and improve efficiency at light load. Although Kudo in view of Kawamoto disclose a plurality of switch-drivers, Kudo in view of Kawamoto does disclose one switch-driver (Kudo; fig. 3, element 132; discharge control circuit 132). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a plurality of switch-drivers for all the switches, since it has been held that the mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art in order to reduce the overall manufacturing cost. See St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co. , 193 USPQ 8 and MPEP 2144.04. Regarding claim 2, Kudo in view of Kawamoto discloses wherein the charge pump control system comprises: a controller that is configured to set the switching frequency of the charge pump based on the number of switch drivers that are providing their respective cell-balancing-switches with a drive signal to close the cell-balancing-switch (Kawamoto, claim 6: the control circuit includes a frequency variation unit that varies the switching frequency of the charge pump circuit according to a number of the voltage-driven switching elements that are simultaneously driven). Regarding claims 4 and 15, Kudo fails to disclose wherein the charge pump control system is configured to determine the amplitude of ripple in the output voltage that is provided by the charge pump and set the switching frequency of the charge pump based on the determined amplitude of the ripple. However, Kawamoto further discloses wherein the charge pump control system is configured to determine the amplitude of ripple in the output voltage ( ¶ 0029; the charge pump circuit 20 has an oscillator 25 that alternately outputs the voltage having the low level and the voltage having the high level at a predetermined switching frequency ) that is provided by the charge pump and set the switching frequency of the charge pump based on the determined amplitude of the ripple ( claim 6: the control circuit includes a frequency variation unit that varies the switching frequency of the charge pump circuit according to a number of the voltage-driven switching elements [it determines that amplitude of ripple] that are simultaneously driven ). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kudo to incorporate with the teaching of Kawamoto by setting the switching frequency of the charge pump based on the amplitude of ripple, because it would be advantageous to reduce power consumption and improve efficiency at light load. Regarding claim 10, Kudo fails to teach wherein the charge pump control system further comprises: a DC output voltage loop for setting the output voltage of the charge pump to a constant value by regulating the current through a flying capacitor in the charge pump. However, Kawamoto further discloses wherein the charge pump control system further comprises: a DC output voltage loop for setting the output voltage of the charge pump to a constant value (¶ 0026; the charge pump circuit 20 has a constant current source 21. The constant current source 21 applies a constant current to a pair of Zener diodes 22 and 23 connected opposite to each other) by regulating the current through a flying capacitor in the charge pump (¶ 0031; The charge pump circuit 20 includes capacitors 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38. Each of the capacitors 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 includes a pair of electrodes and an insulation film). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kudo to incorporate with the teaching of Kawamoto by setting the output voltage of the charge pump to a constant value by regulating the current through a flying capacitor in the charge pump, because it would be advantageous to reduce switching noises and further increase accuracy. Regarding claim 11, Kudo discloses an integrated circuit (fig. 3, element IC2) comprising the charge pump control system of claim 1. Regarding claim 12, Kudo discloses a battery management system (fig. 3, element 100) comprising the charge pump control system of claim 1 . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 3, 5-9, 14, 16-20 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. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 3, the prior art fails to teach or suggest further inclusion of wherein the controller is configured to use a look-up table or database to determine the required switching frequency for a given number of switch drivers that are providing their respective cell- balancing-switches with a drive signal to close the cell-balancing-switch. Regarding claim 5, the prior art fails to teach or suggest further inclusion of wherein the charge pump control system is configured to: receive a clock-signal from a clock; provide a clock-adjustment-signal based on the number of switch drivers that are providing their respective cell-balancing-switches with a drive signal to close the cell-balancing-switch; modify the frequency of the clock-signal based on the clock-adjustment-signal in order to provide a charge-pump-clock-signal; and provide the charge-pump-clock-signal to the charge pump in order to set the switching frequency of the charge pump . 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. 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, 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. 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. /ZIXUAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 06/12/2026 Application/Control Number: 18/478,161 Page 2 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/478,161 Page 3 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/478,161 Page 4 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/478,161 Page 5 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/478,161 Page 6 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/478,161 Page 7 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/478,161 Page 8 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/478,161 Page 9 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/478,161 Page 10 Art Unit: 2859
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