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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 18 and 19 are objected to because of the following informalities: They state “The method a of claim…”. Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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.
Claims 1-4, 8-13, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada et al. (USPUB 2019/0359078).
As to Claim 1, Yamada discloses a power supply system comprising: a high-voltage battery (Figure 2, Element 22); a low-voltage battery configured to supply power to a low-voltage electronic device (Element 24); a DC-DC converter connected between the high-voltage battery and the low-voltage battery (Element 23); and a controller configured to control the DC-DC converter to charge the low-voltage battery by using the high-voltage battery (Figure 1, Element 30), wherein the high-voltage battery comprises: a first cell module comprising a plurality of first battery cells (Figure 2, BM2 … BMn); a second cell module electrically connected to the first cell module and comprising a plurality of second battery cells (Figure 2, BM1); and a switching module configured to switch between a first connection state in which the first cell module and the second cell module charge the low-voltage battery (Figure 4); and a second connection state in which the second cell module charges the low-voltage battery or supplies power to the low-voltage electronic device (Figure 5).
As to Claim 2, Yamada discloses the power supply system of claim 1, wherein in the first connection state, the first cell module and the second cell module are electrically connected, and in the second connection state, a minus terminal of the first cell module is connected to a ground and a plus terminal of the second cell module is connected to charge the low-voltage battery or supply power to the low-voltage electronic device (Figure 4).
As to Claim 3, Yamada discloses the power supply system of claim 2, wherein the switching module includes a first switching element configured to switch the minus terminal of the first cell module to a connection to the ground and a second switching element configured to switch the plus terminal of the second cell module to a connection to the low-voltage electronic device (Figure 4, Element MR2, SR2).
As to Claim 4, Yamada discloses the power supply system of claim 1, wherein the switching module switches from the first connection state to the second connection state according to a state of the low-voltage battery (Paragraphs 37-38).
As to Claim 8, Yamada discloses the power supply system of claim 1, wherein the high-voltage battery further comprises: a first cell monitoring unit configured to sense states of the plurality of first battery cells; a second cell monitoring unit configured to sense states of the plurality of second battery cells; and a battery management unit configured to perform cell balancing of the first cell module and the second cell module independently of each other according to first sensing information by the first cell monitoring unit and second sensing information by the second cell monitoring unit (Paragraph 35-37).
As to Claim 9, Yamada discloses the power supply system of claim 1, wherein the second battery cells comprise lithium battery cells, and the low-voltage battery comprises a lead-acid battery (Paragraph 25 and 28).
As to Claim 10, Yamada discloses the power supply system of claim 2, wherein the DC-DC converter is connected to the plus terminal of the second cell module, and the controller is further configured to control the DC-DC converter to charge the second cell module using the first cell module (Figure 5).
As to Claim 11, Yamada discloses a method of controlling a power supply system comprising a high-voltage battery, a low-voltage battery configured to supply power to a low-voltage electronic device, a DC-DC converter connected between the high-voltage battery and the low-voltage battery, and a controller configured to control the DC-DC converter to charge the low-voltage battery by using the high-voltage battery, wherein the high-voltage battery comprises: a first cell module comprising a plurality of first battery cells (Figure 2, BM2… BMn); a second cell module electrically connected to the first cell module and comprising a plurality of second battery cells (Element BM2); and a switching module electrically connected between the first cell module and the second cell module (Element SR1), and wherein the method comprises switching between a first connection state in which the first cell module and the second cell module charge the low-voltage battery; and a second connection state in which the second cell module charges the low-voltage battery or supplies power to the low-voltage electronic device (Figure 4 and 5).
As to Claim 12, Yamada discloses the method of claim 11, wherein in the first connection state, the first cell module and the second cell module are electrically connected, and in the second connection state, a minus terminal of the first cell module is connected to a ground and a plus terminal of the second cell module is connected to charge the low-voltage battery or supply power to the low-voltage electronic device (Figure 4).
As to Claim 13, Yamada discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the switching comprises switching from the first connection state to the second connection state according to a state of the low-voltage battery (Paragraph 37-38).
As to Claim 17, Yamada discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the high-voltage battery further comprises a first cell monitoring unit configured to sense states of the plurality of first battery cells and a second cell monitoring unit configured to sense states of the plurality of second battery cells and the method further comprises performing cell balancing of the first cell module and the second cell module independently from each other according to first sensing information by the first cell monitoring unit and second sensing information by the second cell monitoring unit (Paragraphs 35-37).
As to Claim 18, Yamada discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the second battery cells comprise lithium battery cells, and the low-voltage battery comprises a lead-acid battery (Paragraphs 25 and 28).
As to Claim 19, Yamada discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising controlling the DC-DC converter to charge the second cell module using the first cell module (Figure 5).
As to Claim 20, Yamada discloses an electric vehicle comprising: a high-voltage battery (Figure 2, Element 22); a low-voltage battery configured to supply power to a low-voltage electronic device (Element 24); a DC-DC converter connected between the high-voltage battery and the low-voltage battery (Element 23); and a controller configured to control the DC-DC converter to charge the low-voltage battery by using the high-voltage battery (Figure 1, Element 30), wherein the high-voltage battery comprises: a first cell module comprising a plurality of first battery cells (Figure 2, BM2 … BMn); a second cell module electrically connected to the first cell module and comprising a plurality of second battery cells (Element BM1); and a switching module configured to switch between a first connection state in which the first cell module and the second cell module charge the low-voltage battery; and a second connection state in which the second cell module charges the low-voltage battery or supplies power to the low-voltage electronic device (Figure 4 and 5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7 and 14-16 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J GRANT whose telephone number is (571)270-5820. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am - 5:30pm.
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/ROBERT GRANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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