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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The specification (for example see paragraph [0012] of specification in PGPub of the instant application) include the term “decharging”, which is inappropriate. For the clarity reason, the examiner is interrupted it as “discharging”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 11-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 11, the claim recited , “ a single semiconductor switching element configured to block in the decharging direction”, where the term “decharging” is inappropriate. For the clarity reason, the examiner is interrupted it as “discharging”.
Regarding claim 12, the claim similarly recited, “semiconductor switching elements is respectively configured so as to block in the decharging direction”, where the term “decharging” is inappropriate. For the clarity reason, the examiner is interrupted it as “discharging”.
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 5 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 5 recites the limitation "the sixth switching unit" in line 10. However, there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because a sixth switching unit has not been previously introduced in the claim or in a claim from which claim 5 depends. Accordingly, it is unclear what previously recited element is intended to correspond to “ the sixth switching unit”, thereby rendering the scope of claim 5 indefinite.
Claims 7, 8, and 11 having the same issue and rejected on the same ground.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-7, 9-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kristensen (US 2019/0103750), and Liu et al. (US 2007/0075684), herein after Liu.
Regarding claim 1, Kristensen discloses a switching assembly for an electrical energy storage system having a first energy storage unit (2) and a second energy storage unit (4) (two energy storage units (621, 622), fig. 25), each having a first pole terminal and a second pole terminal, the switching assembly comprising:
at least a first output and a second output for electrically conductive connection to at least one electrical component (a load applied to (B) terminal to provide power, fig. 25, paragraph [0294]), a first switching unit arranged between the first pole terminal of the first energy storage unit (2) and the first output, a second switching unit (S2) arranged between the second pole terminal (P3) of the first energy storage unit (2) and the second output (A2), a third switching unit (S3) arranged between the first pole terminal (P4) of the second energy storage unit (4) and the first output (A1), a fourth switching unit (S4) arranged between the second pole terminal (P2) of the second energy storage unit (4) and the second output (A2), and a fifth switching unit (S5) arranged between the second pole terminal (P3) of the first energy storage unit (2) and the first pole terminal (P4) of the second energy storage unit (4) (see the annotated fig below),
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Annotated fig. I
wherein the first switching unit (S1) is connected to the third switching unit (S3) (608 is connected to 604, fig. 25), wherein the second switching unit (S2) is connected to the fourth switching unit (S4) (609 is connected to 605, fig. 25).
Although Kristensen does disclose the energy storage system with the switching circuit to manage the battery appropriately and conveniently, however, Kristensen does not explicitly disclose that the switching units comprise two semiconductor switching elements arranged so as to be connected to one another in an antiserial manner.
Liu discloses a circuit for controlling the charging and discharging the battery (abstract). Liu further disclose a switching unit comprises two semiconductor switching elements arranged so as to be connected to one another in an antiserial manner (MOSFET 302 and 304 arranged so as to be connected to one another in an antiserial manner, fig. 4: Note: two MOSFET are coupled in series in a common-drain connection, and their respective body diodes are oriented in opposite directions. That is the defining characteristic of an anti-series MOSFET pair).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kristensen’s battery management system to have two semiconductor switching elements connected in antiserial configuration in place of the switching unit as taught by Liu, in order to independently interrupt charging and discharging currents and thereby provide bidirectional current blocking in the battery switching path.
Regarding claim 2, Kristensen further discloses wherein the switching assembly comprises at least a first input (E1) and a second input (E2) for electrically conductive connection to a voltage source ((A) terminal is connected to the power source, fig. 25, paragraph [0294], see the annotated fig below), wherein the first input (E1) can be connected to the first switching unit (S1) and the third switching unit (S3) (the first input is connected to 608 (first switching unit) to 604(third switching unit, fig. 25) ), and wherein the second input (E2) can be connected to the second switching unit (S2) and the fourth switching unit (S4) (second input is connected to 609 (second switching unit) to 605 (fourth switching unit), fig. 25).
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Annotated fig. II
Regarding claim 3, Kristensen further discloses wherein the first pole terminal (P1) of the first electrical energy storage unit (2) can be connected by means of the third switching unit (S3) to the first pole terminal (P4) of the second electrical energy storage unit (4) (P1 is connected to P3 through third switching unit 604, see annotated fig below), and the second pole terminal (P3) of the first electrical energy storage unit (2) can be connected by means of the second switching unit (S2) to the second pole terminal (P2) of the second electrical energy storage unit (4) (P2 is connected to P4 through second switching unit 609, fig. 25).
Regarding claim 4, Kristensen further discloses wherein the second switching unit (S2) comprises a single semiconductor switching element, which is configured to block in the charging direction (609 switch is capable of blocking the charging direction, fig. 25 ), and the third switching unit (S3) comprises a single semiconductor switching element, which is configured to block in the charging direction (604 switch is capable of blocking the charging direction, fig. 25).
Regarding claim 6, Kristensen further discloses wherein the switching assembly comprises a first node point (K1) connecting the first switching unit (S1) to the third switching unit (S3) and the first output (A1) and a second node point (K2) connecting the second switching unit (S2) to the fourth switching unit (S4) and the second output (A2) (see the annotated fig below).
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Annotated fig. III
Regarding claim 7, Kristensen further discloses wherein the sixth switching unit (S6) is arranged between the first node point (K1) and the first input (E1) (602 is connected between E1 and K1, fig. 25) and the seventh switching unit (S7) is arranged between the second node point (K2) and the second input (E2) (607 is connected between E2 and K2, fig. 25).
Regarding claim 9, Kristensen further discloses wherein the second switching unit (S2) comprises a single semiconductor switching element, which is configured to block in the charging direction, and the fourth switching unit (S4) comprises a single semiconductor switching element, which is configured to block in the charging direction (609 and 605 is capable of blocking the charging direction there, fig. 25), Kristensen further discloses the fuse connected to the battery pole terminals (paragraph [0106]).
Regarding claim 10, Kristensen further discloses wherein the first switching unit (S1) and the third switching unit (S3) each comprise a mechanical switching element, or that the second switching unit (S2) and the fourth switching unit (S4) each comprise a mechanical switching element, or that the second switching unit (S2) and the third switching unit (S3) each comprise a mechanical switching element (An example of this would be mechanical switches (e.g. mechanical relays or reed switches). Mechanical switches can be externally controlled regardless of the state of the Energy Module's storage device, paragraph [0131]).
Regarding claim 11, Kristensen further discloses wherein the fifth switching unit (S5) and/or the sixth switching unit (S6) and/or the seventh switching unit (S7) each comprise a single semiconductor switching element (switching unit 610, fig. 25 Each Energy module consists of an Energy Storage Device such as a battery cell, electronic switches such as MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors), paragraph [0025]), which is configured to block in the decharging direction (the switches has the capability to block the charging/ discharging direction, fig. 25), or two semiconductor switching elements arranged so as to be connected to one another in an antiserial manner, or a mechanical switching element (paragraph [0131]).
Regarding claim 12, Kristensen further discloses the plurality of the switches (603, 606, 609, 604, controlled charging/discharging of the battery). However, Kristensen does not explicitly disclose that the switching units comprise two semiconductor switching elements arranged so as to be connected to one another in an antiserial manner.
Liu discloses a circuit for controlling the charging and discharging the battery (abstract). Liu further disclose a switching unit comprises two semiconductor switching elements arranged so as to be connected to one another in an antiserial manner (MOSFET 302 and 304 arranged so as to be connected to one another in an antiserial manner, fig. 4: Note: two MOSFET are coupled in series in a common-drain connection, and their respective body diodes are oriented in opposite directions. That is the defining characteristic of an anti-series MOSFET pair).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kristensen’s battery management system to have two semiconductor switching elements connected in antiserial configuration in place of the switching unit as taught by Liu, in order to independently interrupt charging and discharging currents and thereby provide bidirectional current blocking in the battery switching path.
Regarding claim 13, Kristensen discloses an electrical energy storage system having at least two electrical energy storage units (621, 622, fig. 25), wherein the electrical energy storage system (100) comprises a switching assembly according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 14, Kristensen in view Liu further discloses a use of a switching assembly according to claim 1 in an electrically driven vehicle or in a hybrid vehicle (paragraph [0092]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 8 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 SADIA KOUSAR whose telephone number is (571)272-3386. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached at (571) 272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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SADIA . KOUSAR
Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/SADIA KOUSAR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2859
Prosecution Insights