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 .
Status of Claims
Claim 3 and 12 have been cancelled, and Claim 17 has been added as new; therefore, Claims 1-2, 4-11, and 13-17 are currently pending in application 18/535,746.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 1-2, 4-11, and 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a), as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claims 1, 2, 10, 11, and 13-15 have been amended to include a “task manger system”; however, neither the specification, drawings, nor original claims describe a “task manager system” in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Specifically, what a task manager system would include, and how a task manager system would differ from the previously claimed task manager.
Remaining claims 4-9, 11, and 16-17 would also be rejected for the same reasons as the claims in which they depend, as described above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
(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.
Claims 1-2, 4-7, 10-11, and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Aikens (US 2020/052349 A1).
As per independent Claims 1 and 16, Aikens discloses a battery pack for a vehicle (a vehicle, comprising: a battery pack) (See at least Figs.1-5; Para 0011, battery “housing”; Para 0016, “… a system 100 is depicted that includes an electrical power management system 102 for a vehicle 160, such an automobile, watercraft, aircraft, spacecraft, or other type of vehicle.”), comprising:
a first battery unit, the first battery unit being configured to output electric energy in a first power range; a second battery unit, the second battery unit being configured to output electric energy in a second power range, and a task manager system (Para 0013, Control System/ Flight Computer) electronically coupled to the first battery unit and the second battery unit, the second power range being larger than the first power range, and the first battery unit and the second battery unit being adapted to be controlled by the task manager system to respectively respond to a different operating state of a load and provide electric energy required to the load (See at least Figs.1-5; Para 0013, “Embodiments disclosed herein perform power management of heterogeneous battery systems that include batteries having different characteristics, such as a first battery with a higher power density and lower energy density coupled in parallel with a second battery with a lower power density and higher energy density. A control system can adjust amounts of power provided by each of the batteries in a heterogeneous battery system based on a power demand of one or more loads powered by the battery system. For example, when a load that is powered by a heterogeneous battery system presents a high power demand, the control system can increase a proportion of power that is provided by a higher power density (and lower energy density) battery. When the load transitions from high power demand to low power demand, the control system can increase a proportion of power that is provided by a higher energy density (and lower power density) battery.”; Para 0017, “The first battery 104 has a first battery chemistry 120, and the second battery 106 has a second battery chemistry 122 that is distinct from the first battery chemistry 120. The first battery 104 and the second battery 106 have different battery characteristics due to the different battery chemistries. In a particular example, the first battery chemistry 120 is optimized or configured to have a first power density (PD 1) 136 and also has a first energy density (ED 1) 132, and the second battery chemistry 122 is optimized or configured to have a second energy density (ED 2) 134 and also has a second power density (PD 2) 138.”; Para 0018, “The first battery 104 having the first battery chemistry 120 is configured to have a first battery voltage (V 1) 174 (e.g., the first battery chemistry 120 corresponds to the first battery voltage 174) and the second battery 106 having the second battery chemistry 122 is configured to have a second battery voltage (V 2) 176 (e.g., the second battery chemistry 122 corresponds to the second battery voltage 176). …”; Para 0035, “… the first battery 104 may be more heavily used in conditions for which the first battery 104 is more suitable than the second battery 106, such as high-power demand conditions, and the second battery 106 may be more heavily used in conditions for which the second battery 106 is more suitable than the first battery 104, such as steady state operation conditions. …”; Para 0058, “Each of the batteries 104, 106, 520, and 522 may have a distinct battery chemistry from each of the other batteries. For example, batteries may be characterized according to a standardized set of characteristics such as specific energy, specific power, safety, performance, life span, and cost, as illustrative, non-limiting examples. Each of the batteries 104, 106, 520, and 522 may be selected to provide a distinct battery type that is well suited for particular operational conditions of the vehicle 160A. … ”; See also Para 0019-0020 and Para 0052-0053),
wherein: the battery pack further comprises a task bus (Battery Bus), wherein the first battery unit and the second battery unit are connected in parallel to the task bus (See at least Figs.1-5, All show parallel connection between batteries and Battery Bus), the task bus is configured to receive a control instruction from the task manager system (Control System) and transmit the control instruction to the first battery unit and the second battery unit (See at least implementation disclosed by Fig.5, Para 0030, “For example, the control circuit 112 may receive data indicating one or more scheduled tasks to be performed by devices coupled to the battery bus 110 during operation of the vehicle 160 and may predictively control the first coupler 114 and the second coupler 116 to power the battery bus 110 with the most appropriate battery (or combination of batteries) based on upcoming scheduled tasks. Additional details regarding controlling power to the battery bus 110 based on vehicle data are provided with reference to the implementation of FIG. 5.”),
the first battery unit or the second battery unit is adapted to be activated and output electric energy in the first power range or the second power range after receiving the control instruction, and the control instruction corresponds to a different operating state of the load (See at least Para 0032-0033, “… In response to detecting an increase to a relatively large power demand at the battery bus 110, the control circuit 112 can increase the power provided by the first battery 104 and decrease the power provided by the second battery 106. For example, the control circuit 112 can generate a value of the first control signal 146 that causes the first coupler 114 to connect the first battery 104 to power the battery bus 110 to satisfy a relatively large power draw of the load 130. After the first power 162 provided by the first battery 104 is increased, the control circuit 112 can generate a value of the second control signal 148 that causes the second coupler 116 to reduce (or terminate) the second power 164 provided by the second battery 106 to the battery bus 110. “), and
the task manager system [See Applicant’s Spec., “… the task manager 20 specifically a DC converter 21, a BMS 22 and an electronic controller 23.”; Fig.2, the Vehicle Controller is connected to the task manager (Electronic Controller, Battery Management System, DC Converter), and the task manager is connected to the batteries through the task bus (13)] controls the first battery unit and the second battery to operate in at least a first power supply mode, a second power supply mode, and a third power supply mode based on a power demand of the vehicle and a power capacity of the first battery unit and/or the second battery unit (SoC) (See at least Figs.1-5; Para 0019, “The electrical power management system 102 includes a control circuit 112 coupled to a first coupler 114 and to a second coupler 116. The control circuit 112 is configured to be coupled to the battery bus 110 of the vehicle 160 and to monitor and control power to the battery bus 110. In a particular implementation, the control circuit 112 is configured to control the first coupler 114 and the second coupler 116 so that power 158 supplied to a load 130 via the battery bus 110 is predominately provided by the first battery 104 or the second battery 106 in response to at least one of a power demand 166 of the load 130, a type of the load 130, a voltage 168 of the battery bus 110, a first state of charge 170 of the first battery 104, a second state of charge 172 of the second battery 106, or a vehicle data input, as illustrative, non-limiting examples.”; Para 0020, “The control circuit 112 is configured to detect a power demand 166 of the battery bus 110 indicative of a power demand of the one or more loads 130. For example, the power demand 166 may be indicative of a voltage demand, a current demand, or a combination thereof, resulting from the aggregated demands of load devices that are coupled to the battery bus 110.”; Para 0038, “… the first battery 104 is dedicated as the high energy density battery and the first battery voltage 174 is higher than or at the same level as the second battery voltage 176, and the second battery 106 is dedicated as the high power density battery and the second battery voltage 176 is at the same level as or lower than the first battery voltage 174. When a load generates a high power demand on the battery bus 110, most of the power to battery bus 110 is provided by the first battery 104 until the first battery voltage 174 drops below the voltage level of the second battery 106. As another example, when a load generates a high energy demand on the battery bus 110, most of the power to the battery bus 110 is provided by the first battery 104 until its voltage drops below the voltage level of the second battery 106. “).
As per Claim 2, Aikens discloses wherein the first battery unit and the second battery unit are adapted to be electrically connected to a battery management system (Electrical Pawer Management System) in the task manager system, the battery management system detects state parameters of the first battery unit and the second battery unit, and controls power ranges of input electric energy and output electric energy of the first battery unit and the second battery unit according to the state parameters (See at least Figs.1-5, Para 0019-0020, Para 0028-0029, and Para 0052-0053).
As per Claim 4 (3), Aikens discloses wherein in the first power supply mode, when the power capacity of the first battery unit is greater than a first threshold, the first battery unit is adapted to receive the control instruction and be activated, to provide electric energy to the load (See at least Para 0028, “In some implementations, the control circuit 112 is configured to control the first coupler 114 and the second coupler 116 to maintain at least a minimum level of a voltage 168 of the battery bus 110, to maintain the voltage of the first battery 104 and the second battery 106 above a minimum depth of discharge, or a combination thereof. For example, if the voltage 168 is substantially the same as (e.g., does not differ by more than a voltage threshold from) the first battery voltage 174 of the first battery 104 and the first battery voltage 174 is above the minimum depth of discharge and is higher than the second battery voltage 176 by more than the voltage threshold, the control circuit 112 may control the first coupler 114 to couple the first battery 104 to the battery bus 110 and may control the second coupler 116 to decouple the second battery 106 from the battery bus 110. As another example, if the first battery voltage 174 and the second battery voltage 176 are both within the voltage threshold of the voltage 168, the control circuit 112 may select either, or both, of the first battery 104 and the second battery 106 to power the battery bus 110.”; See also Para 0029, “In some implementations, the control circuit 112 is configured to control the first coupler 114 and the second coupler 116 based on the first state of charge 170 of the first battery 104, the second state of charge 172 of the second battery 106, or a combination thereof. For example, the control circuit 112 may be configured to prevent use of the first battery 104 when the first state of charge 170 is below a first charge threshold, to prevent use of the second battery 106 when the second state of charge 172 is below a second charge threshold, and to select the battery that has the highest state of charge when both batteries 104, 106 are below the respective charge thresholds.”).
As per Claim 5 (3), Aikens discloses wherein in the second power supply mode, when the power capacity of the first battery unit is lower than a second threshold, the first battery unit receives the control instruction, and is disabled to stop outputting electric energy; and the second battery unit is activated to provide electric energy to the present load (See at least Para 0028, “… As another example, if the first battery voltage 174 and the second battery voltage 176 are both within the voltage threshold of the voltage 168, the control circuit 112 may select either, or both, of the first battery 104 and the second battery 106 to power the battery bus 110.”; See also Para 0029).
As per Claim 6 (3), Aikens discloses wherein in the third power supply mode, when the power capacity of the first battery unit is less than the first threshold and greater than the second threshold, both the first battery unit and the second battery unit receive the control instruction and are activated, and both the first battery unit and the second battery unit provide electric energy to the load, where the first threshold is greater than the second threshold (See at least Para 0028, “… As another example, if the first battery voltage 174 and the second battery voltage 176 are both within the voltage threshold of the voltage 168, the control circuit 112 may select either, or both, of the first battery 104 and the second battery 106 to power the battery bus 110.”; See also Para 0019-0020, Para 0029, and Para 0052-0053).
As per Claim 7, Aikens discloses wherein the first battery unit comprises at least one sub-master pack, the sub-master pack comprises at least one first battery core (11A), the first battery core (11A) has a first energy density and a first power density, the second battery unit comprises at least one sub-slave pack, the sub-slave pack comprises at least one second battery core, the second battery core has a second energy density and a second power density, the first energy density is greater than the second energy density, and the first power density is less than the second power density (See at least Para 0017, Equivalent features disclosed, although different terminology is used).
As per independent Claim 10, Aikens discloses a task manager system for a battery pack of a vehicle (See at least Figs.1-5, and Para 0019, electric power management system (102), includes a control circuit (112)), comprising
a battery management system (Figs.1-5, Electrical Power Management System); and an electronic a controller (Figs.1-5, Control Circuit), wherein: the battery pack includes a first battery unit and a second battery unit, the first battery unit being configured to output electric energy in a first power range, and the second battery unit being configured to output electric energy in a second power range (See at least Figs.1-5; Para 0013), task manager system (Para 0013, Control System/ Flight Computer) is electronically coupled to the first battery unit and the second battery unit, the electronic controller is configured to control the first battery unit and the second battery unit in the battery pack to respectively respond to a different operating state of a load, and control the first battery unit and the second battery unit to provide the electric energy required to the load (See at least Figs.1-5, and Para 0019, “The electrical power management system 102 includes a control circuit 112 coupled to a first coupler 114 and to a second coupler 116. The control circuit 112 is configured to be coupled to the battery bus 110 of the vehicle 160 and to monitor and control power to the battery bus 110. In a particular implementation, the control circuit 112 is configured to control the first coupler 114 and the second coupler 116 so that power 158 supplied to a load 130 via the battery bus 110 is predominately provided by the first battery 104 or the second battery 106 in response to at least one of a power demand 166 of the load 130, a type of the load 130, a voltage 168 of the battery bus 110, a first state of charge 170 of the first battery 104, a second state of charge 172 of the second battery 106, or a vehicle data input, as illustrative, non-limiting examples”; Para 0020, “The control circuit 112 is configured to detect a power demand 166 of the battery bus 110 indicative of a power demand of the one or more loads 130. …”; and Para 0021, “ … at least a portion of the data 140 is generated by one or more load devices coupled to the battery bus 110 and is routed to the control circuit 112, …”),
the battery pack further comprises a task bus (See Figs.1-5, Battery Bus), wherein the first battery unit and the second battery unit are connected in parallel to the task bus (See at least Figs.1-5, All show parallel connection between batteries and Battery Bus), the task manager system is adapted to send a control instruction to the first battery unit and the second battery unit through a task bus (See at least implementation disclosed by Fig.5, Para 0030, “For example, the control circuit 112 may receive data indicating one or more scheduled tasks to be performed by devices coupled to the battery bus 110 during operation of the vehicle 160 and may predictively control the first coupler 114 and the second coupler 116 to power the battery bus 110 with the most appropriate battery (or combination of batteries) based on upcoming scheduled tasks. Additional details regarding controlling power to the battery bus 110 based on vehicle data are provided with reference to the implementation of FIG. 5.”), and
control the first battery unit or the second battery unit to be activated according to the control instruction to output electric energy in a first power range or in a second power range (See at least Para 0032-0033, “… In response to detecting an increase to a relatively large power demand at the battery bus 110, the control circuit 112 can increase the power provided by the first battery 104 and decrease the power provided by the second battery 106. For example, the control circuit 112 can generate a value of the first control signal 146 that causes the first coupler 114 to connect the first battery 104 to power the battery bus 110 to satisfy a relatively large power draw of the load 130. After the first power 162 provided by the first battery 104 is increased, the control circuit 112 can generate a value of the second control signal 148 that causes the second coupler 116 to reduce (or terminate) the second power 164 provided by the second battery 106 to the battery bus 110. “), where the control instruction corresponds to a different operating state of the load, and the electronic controller controls the first battery unit and the second battery to operate in at least a first power supply mode, a second power supply mode, and a third power supply mode based on a power demand of the vehicle and a power capacity of the first battery unit and/or the second battery unit (See at least Para 0028, “In some implementations, the control circuit 112 is configured to control the first coupler 114 and the second coupler 116 to maintain at least a minimum level of a voltage 168 of the battery bus 110, to maintain the voltage of the first battery 104 and the second battery 106 above a minimum depth of discharge, or a combination thereof. For example, if the voltage 168 is substantially the same as (e.g., does not differ by more than a voltage threshold from) the first battery voltage 174 of the first battery 104 and the first battery voltage 174 is above the minimum depth of discharge and is higher than the second battery voltage 176 by more than the voltage threshold, the control circuit 112 may control the first coupler 114 to couple the first battery 104 to the battery bus 110 and may control the second coupler 116 to decouple the second battery 106 from the battery bus 110. As another example, if the first battery voltage 174 and the second battery voltage 176 are both within the voltage threshold of the voltage 168, the control circuit 112 may select either, or both, of the first battery 104 and the second battery 106 to power the battery bus 110.”, Mode 1 – first battery 104; Mode 2 – second battery 106, Mode 3 - Both; See also Para 0029, “In some implementations, the control circuit 112 is configured to control the first coupler 114 and the second coupler 116 based on the first state of charge 170 of the first battery 104, the second state of charge 172 of the second battery 106, or a combination thereof. For example, the control circuit 112 may be configured to prevent use of the first battery 104 when the first state of charge 170 is below a first charge threshold, to prevent use of the second battery 106 when the second state of charge 172 is below a second charge threshold, and to select the battery that has the highest state of charge when both batteries 104, 106 are below the respective charge thresholds.”).
As per Claim 11, Aikens discloses wherein: the battery management system (Figs.1-5, Electrical Power Management System), the battery management system being adapted to be electrically connected to the first battery unit and the second battery unit, and configured to detect state parameters of the first battery unit and the second battery unit, and control the power ranges of input electric energy and output electric energy of the first battery unit and the second battery unit according to the state parameters (See at least Para 0019-0020, 0028-0029, and Para 0052-0053).
As per Claim 13 (12), Aikens discloses wherein in the first power supply mode, the task manager system is used for outputting the control instruction when a power capacity of the first battery unit is greater than a first threshold, and is used for activating the first battery unit according to the control instruction to provide electric energy to the load (See at least Para 0028-0029).
As per Claim 14 (12), Aikens discloses wherein in the second power supply mode, the task manager system outputs the control instruction when the power capacity of the first battery unit is less than a second threshold, disables the first battery unit (See Figs.1-5, Aikens discloses several components for disabling/ disrupting power from batteries) according to the control instruction to stop outputting electric energy, and activates the second battery unit to provide electric energy to the present load (See at least Para 0028-0029).
As per Claim 15 (12), Aikens discloses wherein in the third power supply mode, the task manager system outputs the control instruction when the power capacity of the first battery unit is less than the first threshold and greater than the second threshold, and activates the first battery unit and the second battery unit according to the control instruction to control both the first battery unit and the second battery unit to provide electric energy to the load, where the first threshold is greater than the second threshold (See at least Para 0028-0029; See also Para 0019-0020 and Para 0052-0053).
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.
Claims 8-9 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Aikens (US 2020/052349 A1).
As per Claims 8-9, Aikens discloses the equivalent power range adjustment and capacity configuration functional capability (See at least Para 0017, Para 0054-0055); and furthermore, the specific claim limitations are design choices that are known in the battery monitoring, cell balancing, battery modules, and cell structure technological areas; and to modify Aikens to incorporate the limitations, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to produce a desired result.
As per new Claim 17, while Aikens does disclose “As another example, if the first battery voltage 174 and the second battery voltage 176 are both within the voltage threshold of the voltage 168, the control circuit 112 may select either, or both, of the first battery 104 and the second battery 106 to power the battery bus 110.” (Para 0028), Aikens fails to expressly disclose wherein the first threshold is approximately 70% and the second threshold is approximately 20%; however, the specific claim limitations (specific threshold %’s) are design choices that are known in the battery monitoring, cell balancing, and battery maintenance areas; and to modify Aikens to incorporate the limitations, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to produce a desired result.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 8/24/2026, with respect to Claims 1-2, 4-11, and 13-16, have been considered but are not persuasive. The claimed limitations are found in the prior art as stated/mapped in the rejection above. The rejection will remain as FINAL, based on the rejection above.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Applicant’s arguments are addressed in the rejection above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the PTO-892 Notice of References Cited. The Examiner suggests the applicant review these documents before submitting any amendments.
Sampson et al. (US 2021/0094441 A1) – Discloses and electric vehicle battery management system (See at least Fig.1, Para 0035-0053).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN P OUELLETTE whose telephone number is (571)272-6807. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8am-6pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lynda C Jasmin, can be reached at telephone number (571) 272-6782. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for published applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Patent Center for authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to Patent Center, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated- interview-request-air-form.
September 24, 2026
/JONATHAN P OUELLETTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3629
