DETAILED ACTION
Summary
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This is a first Office Action on the merits.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 10, line 14, please amend “a series switch” to recite “the series switch”;
In claim 10, lines 15-16, please amend “a second plurality of power switches” to recite “the second plurality of power switches”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-9 and 17-20 are 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 1 recites the limitation "the series switches" in line 18. It is unclear whether applicant intended to claim a plurality of series switches or a single series switch since line 11 recites “a series switch”. Until further clarification is provided, the limitation has been interpreted as “the series switch”.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the series switches" in line 12. It is unclear whether applicant intended to claim a plurality of series switches or a single series switch since line 5 recites “a series switch”. Until further clarification is provided, the limitation has been interpreted as “the series switch”.
Claims 2-9 and 18-20 are rejected by dependence.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-16 are allowed.
Claims 1-9 and 17-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding independent claim 17:
The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest, either singularly or in combination thereof, a method for heating a battery of an electrical system, comprising: determining a state of charge (SOC) of the battery; determining a temperature value of the electrical system; and controlling, via a battery charging station connectable to the battery and to an alternating current (AC) power supply, a corresponding state of a first plurality of power switches of a rectifier circuit, a second plurality of power switches, and a series switch to thereby perform a battery charging mode in response to the SOC of the battery, and a battery heating mode in response to the temperature value, wherein the battery charging station includes: (i) a battery charging circuit having the first plurality of power switches configured to rectify an AC input voltage from the AC power supply into a direct current (DC) voltage for charging the battery during the battery charging mode, and (ii) a battery heating circuit having a voltage bus, a transformer connectable to the rectifier circuit, a series switch connected in-line to a voltage rail of the voltage bus downstream of the transformer, and a second plurality of power switches downstream of the transformer collectively configured to produce an AC battery current from the DC voltage and selectively inject the AC battery current into the battery during the battery heating mode.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
LI et al, US 2023/0231218, teaches an electrical system, comprising:
A battery charging station (charging pile 100) connectable to a battery (3) and to an AC power supply (2), the battery charging station including:
A battery charging circuit having a rectifier circuit (20) to rectify an AC input voltage from the AC power supply into a DC voltage for charging the battery during a battery charging mode [0066] [Figure 1]; a battery heating circuit having a voltage bus, a transformer connectable to the rectifier circuit, a series switch connected in-line to a voltage rail of the voltage bus downstream of the transformer, and a plurality of power switches downstream of the transformer, and configured to raise a temperature of the battery through high-frequency charging and discharging [0086].
MOON, US 2026/0149076, teaches a method for heating a battery of an electrical system, comprising: Determining a state of charge (SOC) of the battery (step 205 [Figure 2]); Determining a temperature value of the electrical system (step 215 [Figure 2]); and controlling, via a battery heating circuit, a battery heating mode in response to the temperature value.
CHOI, US 2014/0285155, teaches an electrical system, comprising: a temperature sensor (60) configured to measure a temperature of the electrical system as a temperature value [0037] [0039]; a battery heating circuit (1), and a controller (70) controlling heating of a battery based on at least one of a battery charging operation or a battery discharging operation [0028] [0032] [0035] [abstract].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA A GUDORF whose telephone number is (571)270-7607. If the Examiner cannot be reached by telephone, she can be reached through the following e-mail address: laura.gudorf@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 6:00-4:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone 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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/LAURA A GUDORF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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