DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the application 18/538,582 filed on December 13th, 2023.
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 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.
Claims 1-23 are pending and herein considered.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 12/13/2023, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CRR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-2, 4-6, 8-15, 17-20 and 22-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawamoto et al. (Kawamoto), U.S. Pub. Number 2011/0184575.
Regarding claim 1; Kawamoto discloses a battery cell monitoring system comprising:
a plurality of battery cell monitors each configured to electrically connect to a respective battery cell of a battery pack having a plurality of electrically interconnected battery cells (par. 0304; fig. 26; the battery 2005 is a power storage apparatus provided in the control-compliant appliance 125, is composed of one or a plurality of cells.), each battery cell monitor including:
one or more sensors (par. 301; fig. 26; a sensor 2003.) connected to the controller, the one or more sensors each configured to sense at least one parameter of a respective battery cell that is monitored by the battery cell monitoring device (par. 0310; various parameters and intermediate progress of processing that should be stored when the control compliant appliance.);
a memory (par. 0301; fig. 26; a storage unit 2015.) configured to receive and store data based on the sensed at least one parameter, the memory configured to store a battery cell ID associated with the respective battery cell (par. 0310; the storage unit 2015 stores identification information that is unique to the control-compliant appliance 125, information relating to various keys held by the control-compliant appliance 125, various digital signatures and/or certificates held by the control-compliant appliance 125.);
a controller configured to receive sensor information during operation and store the sensor information in memory over time, whereby a history of sensor information for each respective battery cell is recorded in the respective battery cell monitor memory (pars. 0492 & 0765; transmits the identification information (IDP1) of the power management apparatus #1; the respective control-compliant appliances 125 that include batteries transmit battery information (ID) to the power management apparatus 11.);
a communication interface (par. 0301; fig. 26; control-compliant appliance 125.) configured to contactlessly communicate the battery cell ID and the at least one parameter of the respective battery cell to a separate device (pars. 0467 & 0476; the managed appliance registering unit transmits the issued signature together with the identification information (ID) of the power management apparatus to the control-compliant appliance; the system management server transmits the requested certificate to the power management apparatus.), whereby the communication to the separate device is without direct electrical connection (par. 0554; fig. 45; cells A to F are capable of being combined so as to output various voltages.).
Regarding claim 2; Kawamoto discloses the battery cell monitoring system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of battery cell monitors includes a dedicated power source (par. 0292; a control-compliant appliance has been modified from the local power management system.).
Regarding claim 4; Kawamoto discloses the battery cell monitoring system of claim 1 wherein each battery cell monitor includes an enclosure for protecting the respective controller, one or more sensors, the memory, and the communication interface, wherein the enclosure is supported by the respective battery cell and wherein the enclosure includes an electrical coupling between the one or more sensors and the respective battery cell (par. 0239; produce a different power consumption pattern every day and to eradicate cycles based on days of the week or month.).
Regarding claim 5; Kawamoto discloses the battery cell monitoring system of claim 1 wherein each battery cell monitor includes an accelerometer for monitoring shock and movement events (par. 0238; an arrangement that complicates of the timing of events such as going out is capable of sufficiently suppressing dishonest.).
Regarding claim 6; Kawamoto discloses the battery cell monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the memory of each of the plurality of battery cell monitors includes an accumulator matrix that is configured to store battery information sensed over time about the respective battery cell by the sensor (par. 0239; produce a different power consumption pattern every day and to eradicate cycles based on days of the week or month.).
Regarding claim 8; Kawamoto discloses the battery cell monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the memory of each respective battery cell monitor is configured to include battery cell lifecycle data indicative of battery cell lifecycle status of the respective battery cell (par. 0246; control conditions are classified into conditions relating to the usage period of power, conditions relating to power usage mode, and conditions relating to abnormalities.).
Regarding claim 9; Kawamoto discloses the battery cell monitoring system of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of battery cell monitors includes a respective self-discharge resistor switch and respective controller, wherein each respective controller is configured to close the respective self-discharge resistor switch to prepare the respective battery cell for recycling in response to certain battery cell lifecycle data (par. 0207; the manufacturer server 36 is managed by the manufacturer of appliance such as the manufacturer 36 of the electric vehicle 124 holds information relating to the design of the electric vehicle 124.).
Regarding claim 10; Kawamoto discloses the battery cell monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the battery cell monitoring system includes a plastic seal associated with each battery cell monitor, wherein the plastic seal is configured for installation on a respective battery cell, wherein each plastic seal includes one or more conductive tabs surrounded by a plastic layer configured to protect and seal the respective battery cell monitor without preventing electrical connection to electrodes of the respective battery Cell (par. 0441; a digital signature of identification information generated by the system management server have been stored in the apparatus by the manufacturer.).
Regarding claim 11; Kawamoto discloses the battery cell monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the one or more conductive tabs includes at least one of a tab for coil connections and a tab for an antenna (par. 0936; satellite communication.).
Regarding claim 12; Kawamoto discloses the battery cell monitoring system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of battery cell monitors includes a photovoltaic battery cell information chip (par. 0445; the system management server transmits an authentication result showing that the authentication failed to the power management apparatus.).
Regarding claim 13; Claim 13 is directed to a battery cell monitor which has similar scope as claim 1. Therefore, claim 13 remains un-patentable for the same reasons.
Regarding claim 14-15, 17-20 & 22-23; Claims 14-15, 17-20 & 22-23 are directed to the battery cell monitor of claim 13 which have similar scope as claims 2, 4-6 & 8-12. Therefore, claims 14-15, 17-20 & 22-23 remain un-patentable for the same reasons.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3, 7, 16 or 21 is 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
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/KHOI V LE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2436