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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to application 18/480,046 filed 10/3/23. Claims 1-20 are pending with claims 1, 8, and 14 in independent form.
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, 8, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bissontz WO 2012/125158 A1.
Bissontz teaches:
Re: claim 1, A method for controlling a plurality of converters (DC-DC converters 62, 63) that are coupled to a plurality of cells of a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) (traction battery packs 38, 39; twelve volt chassis batteries 61, 65) and that are configured to supply electric current to one or more other systems that require the electric current (accessory motors 28, 30; [0016]-[0021]), the method comprising: obtaining, via one or more sensors, cell data as to the plurality of cells, the cell data including a state-of-charge for each of the plurality of cells ([0013]; [0021]-[0022]; [0024]-[0025], [0027] SOC of battery packs 38, 39 is read); obtaining other system data as to the one or more other systems, including an amount of electric current required by the one or more other systems ([0013]; claims 1-2; 7, 10); and controlling the plurality of converters, in accordance with instructions provided by a processor, based on both: the cell data, including the state-of-charge for each of the plurality of cells ([0013; claims 1-2, 7, 10); and the other system data, including the amount of electric current by each of the one or more other systems ([0013; claims 1-2, 7, 10).
Re: claim 8, A system for controlling a plurality of converters (DC-DC converters 62, 63) that are coupled to a plurality of cells of a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) (traction battery packs 38, 39; twelve volt chassis batteries 61, 65) and that are configured to supply electric current to one or more other systems that require the electric current (accessory motors 28, 30; [0016]-[0021]), the system comprising: one or more sensors configured to obtain cell data as to the plurality of cells, the cell data including a state-of-charge for each of the plurality of cells ([0013]; [0021]-[0022]; [0024]-[0025], [0027] SOC of battery packs 38, 39 is read); and a processor ([0019]-[0020]) that is coupled to the one or more sensors and that is configured to at least facilitate: obtaining other system data as to the one or more other systems, including an amount of electric current required by the one or more other systems ([0013]; claims 1-2; 7, 10); and controlling the plurality of converters, in accordance with instructions provided by the processor, based on both: the cell data, including the state-of-charge for each of the plurality of cells ([0013; claims 1-2, 7, 10); and the other system data, including the amount of electric current by each of the one or more other systems ([0013; claims 1-2, 7, 10).
Re: claim 14, A vehicle (title; abstract) comprising: a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) that includes a plurality of cells and a plurality of converters (DC-DC converters 62, 63) that are coupled thereto and that are configured to supply electric current (traction battery packs 38, 39; twelve volt chassis batteries 61, 65); one or more other systems that require the electric current and that receive the electric current from the RESS (accessory motors 28, 30; [0016]-[0021]); and a control system comprising: one or more sensors configured to obtain cell data as to the plurality of cells, the cell data including a state-of-charge for each of the plurality of cells ([0013]; [0021]-[0022]; [0024]-[0025], [0027] SOC of battery packs 38, 39 is read); and a processor ([0019]-[0020]) that is coupled to the one or more sensors and to the plurality of converters, and that is configured to at least facilitate: obtaining other system data as to the one or more other systems, including an amount of electric current required by the one or more other systems ([0013]; [0021]-[0022]; [0024]-[0025], [0027] SOC of battery packs 38, 39 is read); and controlling the plurality of converters, in accordance with instructions provided by the processor, based on both: the cell data, including the state-of-charge for each of the plurality of cells ([0013; claims 1-2, 7, 10); and the other system data, including the amount of electric current by each of the one or more other systems ([0013; claims 1-2, 7, 10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7, 9-13 and 15-20 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: The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest to one of ordinary skill in the art, in conjunction with all the other limitations of the claims: With respect to claim 2 and all its dependencies, wherein the controlling of the plurality of converters comprises: selecting, via the processor, a selected converter group of the plurality of converters and a selected cell group of the plurality of cells that are coupled to the selected converter group, to be utilized for providing the electric current to the one or more other systems; and selecting, via the processor, electric current commands for a magnitude of the electric current to be provided via the selected converter group and the selected cell group to the one or more other systems, when included with all the limitations of claim 1 from which it depends. With respect to claim 9 and all its dependencies, wherein the processor is further configured to at least facilitate controlling the plurality of converters by: selecting a selected converter group of the plurality of converters and a selected cell group of the plurality of cells that are coupled to the selected converter group, to be utilized for providing the electric current to the one or more other systems; and selecting electric current commands for a magnitude of the electric current to be provided via the selected converter group and the selected cell group to the one or more other systems; wherein the electric current commands are implemented via the selected converter group of the plurality of converters, when included with all the limitations of claim 8 from which it depends. With respect to claim 15 and all its dependencies, With respect to claim 15 and all its dependencies, wherein: the processor is further configured to at least facilitate controlling the plurality of converters by: selecting a selected converter group of the plurality of converters and a selected cell group of the plurality of cells that are coupled to the selected converter group, to be utilized for providing the electric current to the one or more other systems; and selecting electric current commands for a magnitude of the electric current to be provided via the selected converter group and the selected cell group to the one or more other systems; and the electric current commands are implemented via the selected converter group of the plurality of converters, when included with all the limitations of claim 14 from which it depends. The prior art of record fails to provide sufficient teaching or motivation to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the additionally recited features of these claims in the combinations as claimed.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRISTY A HAUPT whose telephone number is (571)272-8545 and email address is kristy.haupt@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Sun 5:30 AM- 10PM; Flex during day.
If all attempts to reach the examiner by telephone and email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Pham, can be reached at telephone number (571) 272-3689. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KRISTY A HAUPT/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
KAH
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