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 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, 6, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Allag et al. (US 2023/0098055).
Regarding claim 1, Allag et al. discloses a battery monitoring device (elements 170A-170C, 300, Figs. 1 and 3) comprising: a monitoring circuit (elements 310, 320, Fig. 3) operable for sensing a status of a first battery module (element 175A, Fig. 1); a communication port (element 360, Fig. 3) operable for receiving a sensing command, provided by a battery management unit (element 110, Fig. 1), through a serial communication link, wherein said serial communication link comprises a plurality of battery monitoring devices (elements 170A-170C, 300, Figs. 1 and 3) including said battery monitoring device, wherein said plurality of battery monitoring devices is coupled to a plurality of battery modules (elements 175A-170N, Fig. 1) including said first battery module, and wherein each device of said plurality of battery monitoring devices is operable for sensing a status of a respective battery module of said plurality of battery modules at a sensing time point (i.e., time t4) (see Fig. 6 and par. [0037]); and a control circuit (element 350, Fig. 3), coupled to said monitoring circuit and said communication port, and operable for starting timing of a preset time delay (i.e. delay periods 630A, 630B, Fig. 6) when said control circuit begins executing said sensing command, and further operable for controlling said monitoring circuit to sense said status of said first battery module when said preset time delay expires such that said monitoring circuit senses said status of said first battery module at a time point that is synchronized with said sensing time point, and wherein said control circuit is further operable for controlling said communication port to send information comprising said status of said first battery module to said battery management unit through said serial communication link (see pars. [0035-0039] and Fig. 6), wherein said battery monitoring device is operable for forwarding said sensing command to a next battery monitoring device of said plurality of battery monitoring devices in said serial communication link, and wherein a length of said preset time delay is determined according to a position of said battery monitoring device in said serial communication link and a propagation delay between said battery monitoring device receiving said sensing command and said next battery monitoring device receiving said sensing command (see pars. [0037-0042] and Fig. 6), wherein said length of said preset time delay is determined according to the following equation: T=(n-i)*P_DLY+At, (i.e., Tdelay=(Treclocking)(N-M)+0), wherein T represents said preset time delay, n represents the total number of said battery monitoring devices in said serial communication link, i is a number representing said position of said battery monitoring device in said serial communication link, At represents a time interval equal to or greater than zero, and P_DLY represents said propagation delay of said battery monitoring device (see par. [0004]).
Regarding claims 6 and 14, Allag et al. discloses a battery monitoring system (element 100, Fig. 1) and method comprising: a serial communication link comprising a plurality of battery monitoring devices (elements 170A-170C, 300, Figs. 1 and 3) operable for sensing statuses of a plurality of battery modules (elements 175A-170N, Fig. 1) at a sensing time point (i.e., time t4) (see Fig. 6 and par. [0037]), wherein said plurality of battery monitoring devices includes a first battery monitoring device, and wherein said first battery monitoring device comprises: a monitoring circuit (elements 310, 320, Fig. 3) operable for sensing a status of a first battery module of said plurality of battery modules; a communication port (element 360, Fig. 3) operable for receiving a first sensing command from a battery management unit through said serial communication link; and a control circuit (element 350, Fig. 3), coupled to said monitoring circuit and said communication port, and operable for executing said first sensing command, for starting timing of a preset time delay (i.e. delay periods 630A, 630B, Fig. 6) when said control circuit begins executing said first sensing command, and for controlling said monitoring circuit to sense said status of said first battery module when said preset time delay expires such that said monitoring circuit senses said status of said first battery module at a time point that is synchronized with said sensing time point, and wherein said control circuit is further operable for controlling said communication port to send information comprising said status of said first battery module to said battery management unit through said serial communication link (see pars. [0035-0039] and Fig. 6), wherein said first battery monitoring device is operable for forwarding said first sensing command to a second battery monitoring device of said plurality of battery monitoring devices in said serial communication link, and wherein a length of said preset time delay is determined according to a position of said first battery monitoring device in said serial communication link and a propagation delay between said first battery monitoring device receiving said first sensing command and said second battery monitoring device receiving said first sensing command from said first battery monitoring device (see pars. [0037-0042] and Fig. 6), wherein said length of said preset time delay is determined according to the following equation: T=(n-i)*P_DLY+At, (i.e., Tdelay=(Treclocking)(N-M)+0), wherein T represents said preset time delay, n represents the total number of said battery monitoring devices in said serial communication link, i is a number representing said position of said battery monitoring device in said serial communication link, At represents a time interval equal to or greater than zero, and P_DLY represents said propagation delay of said battery monitoring device (see par. [0004]). Further, the device of Allag et al. can be assumed to inherently perform the claimed method. Under the principles of inherency, if a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered to be anticipated by the prior art device. When the prior art device is the same as a device described in the specification for carrying out the claimed method, it can be assumed the device will inherently perform the claimed process (see MPEP § 2112.02).
Allowable Subject Matter
No art has been found for a prior art rejection of claims 4, 5, 9-13, and 17-20 at this time.
After further consideration, previously indicated allowability of the subject matter of original claims 3, 8, and 16, which are now included in claims 1, 6, and 14, respectively, is withdrawn. For At=0, Tdelay=(Treclocking)(N-M) anticipates the claimed equation T=(n-i)*P_DLY (see par. [0004]).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MILTON GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-7914. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
/M.G/Examiner, Art Unit 2852
2/19/2026