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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS)(s) submitted on 9/28/2023 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary amendment to the claims received 1/12/2024 is acceptable and made of record in accordance with MPEP 714.01(e).
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. The following title is suggested: Control of an Energy Storage Matrix by Row and Column; or something similarly descriptive.
Drawings
The drawings (figures 1-3) are objected to. All unlabeled box(es) shown in the drawings should be provided with descriptive text labels as provided in the specification. E.g., item 7 should be shown as cell module controller 7. No new matter should be entered. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Status of Claims
Claims 1 and 3-21 are pending, via preliminary amendment, and presented for prosecution on the merits below.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 18, 20 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hwang et al. US 20200194849.
Regarding claims 1 and 10 [claim 1 is considered representative for purposes of itemization. The device claims encompass the method claims], Hwang discloses a control device for controlling an energy storage arrangement, which comprises a plurality of individual cells, the control device comprising:
a switching device [Fig. 7 (see reproduced below), cell array 110] with individual switching elements [each cell has a pair of switches 111a] for one or more of the plurality of individual cells of the energy storage arrangement [FIG. 7 illustrates a single battery bank containing a 3-by-4 matrix or array of battery cells. Par. 0085],
wherein the individual switching elements of the switching device are organized in rows and columns in matrix-like manner [Fig. 7, e.g. 3 rows by 4 column matrix, par. 0085], and
wherein each of the rows of the switching device is activatable by a respective row signal [wordlines WL0 - WL8] and each of the columns of the switching device is activatable by a respective column signal [bitlines BL0 – BL9], separately from each other, such that each of the individual switching elements [switches 111a] can be individually switched on and switched off [par. 0085 A cell(s) in the battery cell array or matrix can be selected by activating both WL and BL. Each cell has a pair of switches 111a, one switch 111a is controlled by WL and the other by BL, that make an electrical or mechanical connection or disconnection between the cell and the associated power lines (PLs) 111b]; and
a matrix control unit configured to individually generate a respective activation signal for each individual switching element of the switching device [par. 0085 A cell(s) in the battery cell array or matrix can be selected by activating both WL and BL. Each cell has a pair of switches 111a, one switch 111a is controlled by WL and the other by BL, that make an electrical or mechanical connection or disconnection between the cell and the associated PL],
wherein the matrix control unit comprises a single column control element [note the CS signal; par. 0084. The column select signal CS controls which column(s) of the array is connected to PL. Plural CS signals can be implemented and activated in a time sharing fashion.] and a separate row control element [WL0 – WL8] for each column [pars. 0084 – 0085 each column (e.g. BL3 first bitline from the left) has a separate row control element [e.g. WL0, the second wordline from the top. See also pars. 0093-0097].
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Regarding claim 6, Hwang discloses the control device according to claim 1, wherein the matrix control unit comprises an FPGA, an ASIC or a demultiplexer [par. 0025, e.g. the row and column decoder] as the column control element and/or as the row control element.
Regarding claims 7, 18, Hwang discloses an energy storage arrangement comprising a plurality of individual cells respectively for storing energy, and a control device wherein each of the individual cells can be individually switched on and switched off by one of the individual switching elements [par. 0085 A cell(s) in the battery cell array or matrix can be selected by activating both WL and BL. Each cell has a pair of switches 111a, one switch 111a is controlled by WL and the other by BL, that make an electrical or mechanical connection or disconnection between the cell and the associated PL].
Regarding claims 9 and 20, Hwang discloses: comprising a power input, to which the individual cells can be individually switched for charging by the control device [par. 0083].
Regarding claims 13 and 21 [claim 13 is considered as representative for purposes of itemization. The device claims encompass the method claim], Hwang discloses a control device for controlling an energy storage arrangement, which comprises a plurality of individual cells, the control device comprising:
a switching device [Fig. 7, cell array 110] with individual switching elements [each cell has a pair of switches 111a] for one or more of the plurality of individual cells of the energy storage arrangement [FIG. 7 illustrates a single battery bank containing a 3-by-4 matrix or array of battery cells. Par. 0085],
wherein the individual switching elements of the switching device are organized in rows and columns in matrix-like manner [Fig. 7, e.g. 3 rows by 4 column matrix, par. 0085], and
wherein each of the rows of the switching device is activatable by a respective row signal [wordlines WL0 - WL8] and each of the columns of the switching device is activatable by a respective column signal [bitlines BL0 – BL9], separately from each other, such that each of the individual switching elements [switches 111a] can be individually switched on and switched off [par. 0085 A cell(s) in the battery cell array or matrix can be selected by activating both WL and BL. Each cell has a pair of switches 111a, one switch 111a is controlled by WL and the other by BL, that make an electrical or mechanical connection or disconnection between the cell and the associated power lines (PLs) 111b]; and
a matrix control unit [Fig. 7, charger selector array 120, par. 0082] configured to individually generate a respective activation signal from the corresponding row signal and corresponding column signal for each individual switching element of the switching device [par. 0085 A cell(s) in the battery cell array or matrix can be selected by activating both WL and BL. Each cell has a pair of switches 111a, one switch 111a is controlled by WL and the other by BL, that make an electrical or mechanical connection or disconnection between the cell and the associated PL].
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Regarding claim 14, Hwang discloses the control device according to claim 13, wherein the matrix control unit comprises a single column control element [note the CS signal; par. 0084. The column select signal CS controls which column(s) of the array is connected to PL. Plural CS signals can be implemented and activated in a time sharing fashion.] and a separate row control element [WL0 – WL8] for each column [pars. 0084 – 0085 each column (e.g. BL3 first bitline from the left) has a separate row control element [e.g. WL0, the second wordline from the top. See also pars. 0093-0097].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 3-5, 11, 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. US 20200194849 in view of Musafia et al. US 20210020998.
Regarding claims 3-5, 11, 15, 16, 17, Hwang discloses the control device according to claim 13, but is silent regarding: wherein each control signal is a pulse and each individual switching element is formed to further hold a switching state induced by the pulse at least for a predetermined time after the respective pulse; and wherein each activation signal is a pulse, a matrix switching element is arranged at each node point of the rows and columns of the matrix control unit, and each matrix switching element is formed to further hold the switching state induced by the pulse at least for a predetermined time also after the respective pulse; and wherein each individual switching element or each matrix switching element comprises a bistable relay, a bistable flip-flop, a floating gate transistor or a thyristor.
Musafia discloses: wherein each control signal is a pulse and each individual switching element is formed to further hold a switching state (by a bistable relay, a bistable flip-flop, a floating gate transistor or a thyristor) induced by the pulse at least for a predetermined time after the respective pulse [par. 0068 holding time inherent to a thyristor].
Hwang and Musafia are analogous switching circuitry for multiple interconnected battery cells. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize one of the known bistable switch types which use pulses, as taught by Musafia, for the intrinsic benefit of reducing the continuous drive burden on Hwang’s row and column decoders.
Claim(s) 8, 12, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. US 20200194849 in view of Despesse US 20140015488.
Regarding claims 8, 19, Hwang discloses the energy storage arrangement according to claims 7 and 18 respectively, comprising a power output, to which the individual cells are switchable by the control device [par. 0089], but is silent regarding: wherein the control device is formed to generate an AC voltage in particular with sinusoidal progression at the power output.
Despesse discloses: wherein the control device is formed to generate an AC voltage in particular with sinusoidal progression at the power output [see Fig. 41 (reproduced below). Pars. 0059, 0181, 0216].
Hwang and Despesse are analogous switching circuitry for multiple interconnected battery cells. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the switching ability to generate AC from the battery cells directly, as taught by Despesse, for the intrinsic benefit of offering the convenience of AC power to users, while reducing the number of intermediate devices connected to the battery and therefore reducing the generation of losses at the level of the transistors and other components used [e.g. see Despesse, par. 0004].
Regarding claim 12, Hwang discloses: comprising a power input, to which the individual cells can be individually switched for charging by the control device [par. 0083].
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20200059106, US 20160197484 are conventional battery cells which are switchable in matrix or columnar format and considered relevant to the background of the instant application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD V MURALIDAR whose telephone number is (571)272- 8933. The examiner can normally be reached M - W 9:30 am to 6:30 PM.
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unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be contacted at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273- 8300.
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RICHARD V. MURALIDAR
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2859
/RICHARD V MURALIDAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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