DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to claims filed 10/26/2023.
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 .
Priority
Priority claim to CN202310038100.02 is acknowledged.
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.
1. Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tan (2011/0163723).
As to claim 1: Tan teaches a battery wake-up circuit in a series-parallel battery system, comprising:
a battery core assembly (106);
a battery management assembly (110);
a current-limiting charge-discharge switch assembly provided in series between the battery core assembly and a power output end (120);
wherein a controlled end of the current-limiting charge-discharge switch assembly is connected to the battery management assembly (figure 1);
a charge-discharge control and detection assembly connected to the battery management assembly (190 connected through 126, 136, 138, paragraph 0041 explaining that the different lines indicate different statuses of the battery pack, including charging and discharging);
wherein the charge-discharge control and detection assembly is configured to detect a signal of a discharge switch and a signal of a charger-assisted power, and wake up the battery management assembly in response to detecting a valid signal (explained in paragraph 0041); and
the battery management assembly after being waken up is configured to control the current-limiting charge-discharge switch assembly to realize an electrical connection between the battery core assembly and the power output end, thereby making a current limiting discharge from the battery core assembly to the power output end (paragraph 0041, “wake up signal 138”); and
a wake-up detection assembly (170);
wherein a detection end of the wake-up detection assembly is connected to one end or two ends of a current-limiting resistor in the current-limiting charge-discharge switch assembly (paragraph 0048, two resistors 290 and 291 as seen in figure 2 of element 170 in greater detail); and
an output end of the wake-up detection assembly is connected to the battery management assembly (170 connected to 110 directly);
the wake-up detection assembly is configured to detect a one-end voltage at the one end of the current-limiting resistor or a two-ends voltage difference between the two ends of the current-limiting resistor (paragraph 0048 explains that the voltage is determined within a threshold based on the RC circuit of 291 and 294); and
in response to that the one-end voltage or the two-ends voltage difference reaches a preset voltage, the wake-up detection assembly is further configured to output a wake-up detection signal to wake up the battery management assembly which is connected to the wake-up detection assembly (paragraph 0063 further explaining the voltage protection setting of element 170, wherein the threshold setting of voltage kick starts current flow via a wake up signal).
As to claim 2: Tan teaches that the current-limiting charge-discharge switch assembly comprises the current-limiting resistor (291), a switch transistor (293) and a relay;
a first end of the current-limiting resistor is connected to the power output end, and a first end of the switch transistor is connected to one end of the relay;
a second end of the switch transistor is connected to a second end of the current-limiting resistor, and a controlled end of the switch transistor is connected to the battery management assembly (elements seen in figure 2, element 190a);
the other end of the relay is connected to the battery core assembly (292).
Allowable Subject Matter
2. Claims 3-7 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 does not fairly teach or suggest the limitations of claim 3, specifically a parallel wake-up circuit in series-parallel with the battery system, which in the parallel wake-up assembly outputs a parallel wake-up detection signal to wake up the battery management assembly, in view of all other limitations present in the claims.
The prior art teaches a number of battery assemblies which are similar to the independent claims, but none of those applications teach a secondary power-up or wake-up element.
Wang (2020/0348365), Li (2017/0187207), Snyder (2015/0180257) and Tan (2011/0163723) are all examples of battery configurations with wake-up circuits coupled with a switch and a management unit, with a charge/discharge mediator, connected in the specific manner as required by claim 1. Snyder and Tan further teach the specifics of the resistor configurations attached to the wake-up circuit.
However, none of these references teach two wake-up circuits that would output a parallel signal.
Li (2022/0149643) teaches a coupled and parallel configured wake-up circuit configuration. However, Li is silent as to other limitations of the location of the resistors in the wake-up circuit element. If one was motivated to combine Li outright with Tan or another reference listed above, it would be unobvious how to flatly implement the double wake-up circuit, as the controller in Tan, and all of the other references, are suited to receive a single signal for a wake-up event.
In Tan, specifically, the wake-up circuit can transmit multiple different signals across the line depending on the voltage threshold determined, but this is not the same as having multiple individual elements which wake up the device. Motivation for this combination would be lacking in this situation, and it would take a rework of the circuit, which generally requires strong and obvious motivation. Examiner contends the same is true for In re Harza duplication of parts (MPEP 2144.04), wherein the combination would not be simple.
As is such, examiner objects to claim 3. Claims 4-7 depend upon claim 3, and are similarly objected to.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID P TARDIF whose telephone number is (571)270-7810. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 11AM-7:30PM. If the examiner cannot be reached by telephone, he can be reached through the following email address: david.tardif@uspto.gov
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone and email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Pham can be reached on (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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DAVID TARDIF
Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/DAVID TARDIF/
Examiner, Art Unit 2876
david.tardif@uspto.gov
/THOMAS K PHAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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