DETAILED ACTION
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 .
This office action is responsive to the application filed 11/21/2023 which claims 1-18 have been presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 11/21/2023, 06/28/2024, 02/14/2025, 06/06/2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Re claim 1, insert “bidirectional boost/buck” before “DC/DC converter” (see lines 5 and 12, respectively).
Re claim 1, insert “two or more” before “ultracapacitor cells” (see line 11).
Re claim 1, insert “two or more” before “voltage sensors” (see lines 13 and 16, respectively).
Re claim 1, insert “two or more” before “electronically controlled switches” (see lines 10, 13, and 17, respectively).
Re claim 1, insert “value” after “the voltage” (see line 15).
Re claim 2, insert “two or more” before “ultracapacitor cell” (see lines 3 and 4, respectively).
Re claim 2, insert “two or more electronically controlled” before “switches” (see line 4).
Re claim 3, substitute “the voltage bus” with – the voltage supply bus -- (see line 4).
Re claim 5, substitute “the temperature” with – a temperature -- (see line 2).
Re claim 6, insert “two or more electronically controlled” before “switches” (see line 1).
Re claim 6, insert “two or more” before “ultracapacitor cells” (see line 2).
Re claim 7, insert “bidirectional boost/buck” before “DC/DC converter” (see lines 4 and 10, respectively).
Re claim 7, substitute “a voltage supply bus of a vehicle” with – the voltage supply bus of the vehicle -- (see line 5).
Re claim 7, insert “two or more” before “ultracapacitor cells” (see line 6).
Re claim 7, insert “two or more” before “electronically controlled switches” (see lines 8 and 10, respectively).
Re claim 7, insert “two or more” before “voltage sensors” (see lines 10 and 13, respectively).
Re claim 7, insert “value” after “the voltage” (see line 12).
Re claim 7, insert “two or more electronically controlled” before “switches” (see line 14).
Re claim 8, insert “two or more” before “ultracapacitor cell” (see lines 2 and 3, respectively).
Re claim 8, insert “two or more electronically controlled” before “switches” (see line 3).
Re claim 9, insert “two or more” before “ultracapacitor cell” (see line 3).
Re claim 11, substitute “the temperature” with – a temperature -- (see line 2).
Re claim 12, insert “two or more electronically controlled” before “switches” (see line 2).
Re claim 12, insert “two or more” before “ultracapacitor cells” (see line 2).
Re claim 13, insert “bidirectional boost/buck” before “DC/DC converter” (see lines 4 and 6, respectively).
Claims 4, 10, and 14-18 are objected to since they are dependent upon an objected claim.
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 1-18 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 limitations "the voltage of the discharged ultracapacitor cell" in 18, and “the other of the two or more ultracapacitor cells” in line 19. There are insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitations "the voltage of the discharged ultracapacitor cell" in 15, and “the other of the two or more ultracapacitor cells” in line 16. There are insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Claims 3-5, 10, 11, and 14-18 recite a “float voltage” which is unclear to the examiner what is exactly is a “float voltage”. Is the “float voltage” a fixed and predetermined value or an unfixed and controllable value? The term “float” is vague and ambiguous and is not clearly defined in the specification.
Claims 2, 6, 8, 9, 12, and 13 are rejected to since they are dependent upon a rejected claim, and inherit the problems of this claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 6-8, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over UCAP Power, Inc. (WO 2022060892A1) in view of Huh et al. (US 10,272,788) (hereinafter “Huh”), both cited by the applicants.
Re claims 1 and 7, UCAP Power, Inc. discloses an ultracapacitor module, comprising:
an ultracapacitor cell stack (301) containing two or more ultracapacitor cells (301) connected in a series circuit (fig. 3);
a charger including a converter (paras. 0034, 0039), wherein the ultracapacitor cell stack and the charger are configured to be connected in series with a voltage supply bus of a vehicle (fig. 3);
two or more voltage sensors configured to determine a voltage value of each of the two or more ultracapacitor cells in the series circuit (paras. 0022, 0034);
two or more electronically controlled switches (310) each connected in series with a bleed resistor (310), wherein one of the electronically controlled switches and bleed resistors are connected in parallel with each of the ultracapacitor cells (301) (fig. 3; para. 0034); and
an electronic controller in electrical communication with the charger, the voltage sensors, and the electronically controlled switches (fig. 3; para. 0034), wherein the electronic controller is configured to:
determine the voltage of each of the two or more ultracapacitor cells via the voltage sensors (fig. 3; para. 0022), and
operate the electronically controlled switches to selectively discharge at least one of the two or more ultracapacitor cells to bring the voltage of the discharged ultracapacitor cell closer to another of the two or more ultracapacitor cells (paras. 0034, 0052).
UCAP Power, Inc. fails to specifically teach a bidirectional boost/buck DC/DC converter.
Huh discloses an energy system including a bidirectional boost/buck DC/DC converter (col. 5, lines 11-43).
In view of Huh’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the invention to use a bidirectional boost/buck DC/DC converter within UCAP Power, Inc. system, as bidirectional boost/buck DC/DC converters are well-known in the art for reducing hardware complexity, size, and the component count.
Re claims 2 and 8, UCAP Power, Inc. discloses the ultracapacitor module according to claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to: determine that the ultracapacitor cells are idle or in a low-demand state, and operate the switches to intentionally discharge each of the ultracapacitor cells to a voltage threshold (paras. 0034, 0050-0052).
Re claims 6 and 12, UCAP Power, Inc. discloses wherein the switches are opened upon the ultracapacitor cells reaching the voltage threshold (paras. 0043-0046).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ingram et al. (US 2006/0241876) discloses a system for managing ultracapacitor energy storage systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to APRIL A TAYLOR whose telephone number is (571)272-2403. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday between 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, STEVEN S PAIK can be reached at 571-272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/APRIL A TAYLOR/Examiner, Art Unit 2876
/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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