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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/29/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-5 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 1 lines 14-15 recite “a predetermined gap”. It is unclear how the predetermined gap is determined beforehand. Therefore Claim 1 and dependent Claims 2-5 are indefinite.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cummings (US 20180003685 A1) in view of Rothberg (US 20100301398 A1).
With regards to Claim 1, Cummings teaches
a battery pack configured to accommodate a battery (See Fig. 6 the battery charging and storing enclosure 600 is the battery pack and see Para[0070] “The lithium-ion battery charging and storage enclosure 600 can include a housing 602 to house the battery (not depicted in FIG. 6).” Therefore the battery pack is configured to accommodate a battery) equipped in a vehicle (See Para[0021] “For example, the environment can include, but not limited, a safety environment, a test environment, such as a laboratory, a storage environment, such as a data center, an industrial environment, such as a combustion system, a commercial environment, a residential environment, a military environment, a transportation environment, such as a vehicle (i.e. equipped in a vehicle)”);
an intake duct configured to guide air outside the vehicle into the battery pack to air-cool the battery (See Fig. 6 the intake 604 and see Para[0070] “The intake 604 (i.e. an intake duct) can be configured to draw ambient air into the housing 602 (i.e. configured to guide air outside the vehicle into the battery pack (which is the battery charging and storing enclosure 600), where the battery is inside the vehicle, see Para[0021] “For example, the environment can include, but not limited, a safety environment, a test environment, such as a laboratory, a storage environment, such as a data center, an industrial environment, such as a combustion system, a commercial environment, a residential environment, a military environment, a transportation environment, such as a vehicle”) to cool the lithium-ion battery (i.e. to air-cool the battery).”);
an exhaust duct configured to guide air inside the battery pack outward from the vehicle (See Para[0070] “The exhaust 606 (i.e. an exhaust duct) can be configured expel gas in the housing 602 into a surrounding environment (i.e. configured to guide air inside the battery pack outward from the vehicle, where the surrounding environment is the area outside the vehicle, see Para[0021] “For example, the environment can include, but not limited, a safety environment, a test environment, such as a laboratory, a storage environment, such as a data center, an industrial environment, such as a combustion system, a commercial environment, a residential environment, a military environment, a transportation environment, such as a vehicle”).” Therefore the battery back is inside the vehicle, and the exhaust 606 expels air outside the vehicle into the surrounding environment, as the environment itself is the vehicle but the surrounding environment is separate from the vehicle.);
at least one detection sensor disposed inside the battery pack and configured to detect corrosive particles (See Fig. 6, the second gas sensor 306 is inside the battery charging and storing enclosure 600 (i.e. at least one detection sensor disposed inside the battery pack) and see Para[0022] “Additionally, the gas analyte can include a lithium-ion battery off gas, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur oxides, ammonia, chlorine, propane, ozone, ethanol, hydrocarbons, hydrogen cyanide, combustible gases, flammable gases, toxic gases, corrosive gases, oxidizing gases, reducing gases, or the like.” Therefore, the second gas sensor 306 is configured to detect corrosive particles.); and
a controller, wherein (See Fig. 6, the processor 310 (i.e. a controller) and see Para[0055] “The processor 310 can be configured to access the memory 312 and execute the machine-readable instructions stored in the memory 312.” Therefore, the processor 310 is a controller.)
wherein the controller comprises (See Para[0055] below)
at least one processor (see Para[0055] “The processor 310 can be configured to access the memory 312 and execute the machine-readable instructions stored in the memory 312.” Therefore, the controller comprises the processor 310 (i.e. at least one processor).), and
at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor (see Para[0055] “The processor 310 can be configured to access the memory 312 and execute the machine-readable instructions stored in the memory 312.” Therefore, the memory 312 is the at least one memory, and it is coupled to the at least one processor 310 as the processor 310 executes instructions from the memory 312.),
wherein the at least one processor is configured to (See Para[0056] “In one example, the processor 310 can be configured to access the memory 312 and execute the machine-readable instructions to perform the one or more methods described herein (i.e. wherein the at least one processor is configured to).”)
perform an inspection of corrosion of the battery pack based on a detection value of the at least one detection sensor (See Para[0022] “Additionally, the gas analyte can include a lithium-ion battery off gas, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur oxides, ammonia, chlorine, propane, ozone, ethanol, hydrocarbons, hydrogen cyanide, combustible gases, flammable gases, toxic gases, corrosive gases, oxidizing gases, reducing gases, or the like.” Therefore, corrosive gases can be detected by the second gas sensor 306 in Fig. 6 (i.e. the at least one detection sensor) for the battery charging and storing enclosure 600 (i.e. perform an inspection of corrosion of the battery pack based on a detection value of the at least one detection sensor).)
Cummings is silent to the language of
at least one chloride-ion detection sensor
the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, a control electrode, and a reference electrode that is disposed with a predetermined gap from the control electrode, and
the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor is a semiconductor sensor in which an electric potential of the control electrode changes in accordance with a voltage applied to the reference electrode and a concentration of the chloride ion present in the predetermined gap and in which an electric current between the first electrode and the second electrode changes in accordance with the electric potential of the control electrode,
based on a detection value of the at least one chloride ion detection sensor in a first state where the voltage is applied to the reference electrode, and
inspect the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor based on the detection value of the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor in a second state where the voltage is applied directly to the control electrode without intervention of the reference electrode.
Rothberg teaches
at least one chloride-ion detection sensor (See Fig. 1 the ISFET 50 (i.e. at least one chloride-ion detection sensor) and Para[0360] “The passivation layer can also detect other ion species directly including but not limited to calcium, potassium, sodium, iodide, magnesium, chloride, lithium, lead, silver, cadmium, nitrate, phosphate, dihydrogen phosphate, and the like.”)
the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor (See Fig. 1 the ISFET 50) comprises a first electrode (See Fig. 1, the source 56), a second electrode (See Fig. 1, the drain 58), a control electrode (See Fig. 1, the gate oxide 65), and a reference electrode (See Fig. 1, the reference electrode 76) that is disposed with a predetermined gap from the control electrode (See Fig. 1, the gate oxide 65 is disposed with a predetermined gap from the reference electrode 76), and
the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor is a semiconductor sensor (See Para[0004] “ FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of a p-type (p-channel) ISFET 50 fabricated using a conventional CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) process. ” (i.e. the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor is a semiconductor sensor)) in which an electric potential of the control electrode changes in accordance with a voltage applied to the reference electrode and a concentration of the chloride ion present in the predetermined gap (See Para[0008] “If the reference electrode 76 provides an electrical reference (i.e. a voltage applied to the reference electrode) or ground (VG =0 Volts), and the drain current ID and the drain-to-source voltage VDS are kept constant, variations of the source voltage VS of the ISFET directly track variations of the threshold voltage VTH”. Thus the voltage applied to the reference electrode influences the values of the threshold voltage VTH, which in turn affects the electric potential of the control electrode, see Para[0005] “The gate-source potential at which the channel 63 begins to conduct current is referred to as the transistor's threshold voltage VTH” via changes of the chloride ion concentration, see Para[0008] “the threshold voltage VTH of the ISFET that varies with changes in ion concentration in the analyte solution 74 (i.e. and a concentration of the chloride ion present in the predetermined gap, as the analyte solution 74 exists also in the predetermined gap between the reference electrode 76 and the gate oxide 65)” ) and in which an electric current between the first electrode and the second electrode changes in accordance with the electric potential of the control electrode (See Para[0006] “This p-channel 63 extends between the source (i.e. the first electrode) and the drain (i.e. the second electrode), and electric current (i.e. an electric current between the first electrode and the second electrode) is conducted through the p-channel when the gate-source potential VGS is negative enough to attract holes from the source into the channel. The gate-source potential at which the channel 63 begins to conduct current is referred to as the transistor's threshold voltage VTH” (i.e the electric current changes in accordance with the electric potential of the control electrode, which is the gate-source potential/transistor’s threshold voltage VTH.),
based on a detection value of the at least one chloride ion detection sensor in a first state where the voltage is applied to the reference electrode (See Fig. 1, where the at least one chloride ion detection sensor is the ISFET 50 and the detection value is VDS, where the voltage is applied to the reference electrode 76 (“Para[0008] “If the reference electrode 76 provides an electrical reference or ground (VG =0 Volts)”), via the wire attached to it, therefore defining a first state), and
inspect the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor based on the detection value of the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor (See Para[0162] “improving performance by, for example, improving the signal-to-noise ratio of individual ISFET-based pixels as well as arrays of such pixels.” Therefore, inspecting the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio requires the detection value of the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor to be inspected.) in a second state where the voltage is applied directly to the control electrode without intervention of the reference electrode (See Fig. 6, where the at least one chloride ion detection sensor is the ISFET pixel array 801…8016 and the detection value is VDSJ, where no voltage is applied to the reference electrode 76 (See Para[0008] “Para[0008] “If the reference electrode 76 provides an electrical reference or ground (VG =0 Volts)”), therefore defining a second state as the voltage VDD applies a current ISOURCEJ to each pixel ISFET in the ISFET array, thereby applying a voltage to the control electrode, see Fig. 1 (i.e. in a second state where the voltage is applied directly to the control electrode without intervention of the reference electrode).).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Cummings wherein at least one chloride-ion detection sensor, the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, a control electrode, and a reference electrode that is disposed with a predetermined gap from the control electrode, and the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor is a semiconductor sensor in which an electric potential of the control electrode changes in accordance with a voltage applied to the reference electrode and a concentration of the chloride ion present in the predetermined gap and in which an electric current between the first electrode and the second electrode changes in accordance with the electric potential of the control electrode, based on a detection value of the at least one chloride ion detection sensor in a first state where the voltage is applied to the reference electrode, and inspect the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor based on the detection value of the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor in a second state where the voltage is applied directly to the control electrode without intervention of the reference electrode is used like in Rothberg in order to effectively detect the concentration of corrosive particles using the ISFET of Rothberg.
With regards to Claim 5, Cummings and Rothberg teach the limitations of claim 1. Cummings further teaches
wherein the at least one processor is configured to (See Para[0056] “In one example, the processor 310 can be configured to access the memory 312 and execute the machine-readable instructions to perform the one or more methods described herein (i.e. wherein the at least one processor is configured to).”)
perform the inspection of the corrosion of the battery pack based on the detection value of the at least one detection sensor (See Para[0022] “Additionally, the gas analyte can include a lithium-ion battery off gas, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur oxides, ammonia, chlorine, propane, ozone, ethanol, hydrocarbons, hydrogen cyanide, combustible gases, flammable gases, toxic gases, corrosive gases, oxidizing gases, reducing gases, or the like.” Since corrosive gases can be detected by the second gas sensor 306 (See Fig. 6) for the battery charging and storing enclosure 600, performing the inspection of the corrosion of the battery pack based on the detection value of the at least one detection sensor, which is the second gas sensor 306, is done.) and inspect the at least one detection sensor (See Para[0057] “The processor 310 can be configured to receive one or more first baseline sensor signals generated by the first gas sensor 304 and one or more second baseline sensor signals generated by the second gas sensor 306 (i.e. and inspect the at least one detection sensor)”).
Cummings is silent to the language of
inspect the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor based on the detection value of the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor in the first state.
Rothberg teaches
inspect the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor based on the detection value of the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor (See Para[0162] “improving performance by, for example, improving the signal-to-noise ratio (i.e. the signal-to-noise ratio is the detection value) of individual ISFET-based pixels as well as arrays of such pixels.” Therefore, in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, Rothberg inspects the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor based on the detection value of the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor.) in the first state (See Fig. 1, where the at least one chloride ion detection sensor is the ISFET 50 and the detection value is VDS, where the voltage is applied to the reference electrode 76 (See Para[0008] “If the reference electrode 76 provides an electrical reference or ground (VG =0 Volts)”) via the wire attached to it, therefore defining the first state).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Cummings wherein inspecting the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor based on the detection value of the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor in the first state is done like in Rothberg in order to accurately detect corrosive particles that can damage the battery pack and the sensors in Cummings.
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cummings (US 20180003685 A1) and Rothberg (US 20100301398 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nackaerts (US 20110175595 A1).
With regards to Claim 2, Cummings and Rothberg teach the limitations of claim 1. Cummings and Rothberg are silent to the language of
further comprising a switch selectable between the first state and the second state.
Nackaerts teaches
further comprising a switch selectable between the first state and the second state (See Fig. 2, where the first switch 62 provides two distinct states, where the first state selects a nonzero reference voltage for the reference electrode 40 when the switch is on, and a zero voltage as a second state when the switch is selected to be off (i.e. further comprising a switch selectable between the first state and the second state).).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Cummings and Rothberg wherein further comprising a switch selectable between the first state and the second state is done like in Nackaerts in order to provide a more flexible circuit to switch between zero and non-zero reference voltage values for the reference electrode in Rothberg.
With regards to Claim 3, Cummings and Rothberg teach the limitations of claim 1. Cummings is silent to the language of
wherein the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor further comprises a lead terminal electrically coupled to the control electrode and extending from the control electrode, and
wherein the voltage is applied to the control electrode via the lead terminal in the second state.
Rothberg teaches
wherein the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor (See Fig. 1 the ISFET 50 (i.e. wherein the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor) and Para[0360] “The passivation layer can also detect other ion species directly including but not limited to calcium, potassium, sodium, iodide, magnesium, chloride, lithium, lead, silver, cadmium, nitrate, phosphate, dihydrogen phosphate, and the like.”)
in the second state (See Fig. 6, where the at least one chloride ion detection sensor is the ISFET pixel array 801…8016 and the detection value is VDSJ, where no voltage is applied to the reference electrode 76 (See Para[0008] “If the reference electrode 76 provides an electrical reference or ground (VG =0 Volts)”), therefore defining a second state (i.e. in the second state).).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Cummings wherein the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor is used and the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor is in a second state like in Rothberg in order to effectively detect the concentration of corrosive particles using the ISFET of Rothberg and to gauge the performance of the ISFET itself.
Cummings and Rothberg are silent to the language of
wherein the detection sensor further comprises a lead terminal electrically coupled to the control electrode and extending from the control electrode, and
wherein the voltage is applied to the control electrode via the lead terminal.
Nackaerts teaches
wherein the detection sensor (See Figure 1, the entire figure) further comprises a lead terminal (See Figure 1, the connection 34) electrically coupled to the control electrode and extending from the control electrode (See Figure 1, the gate electrode 32 is the control electrode, which is connected electrically to the connection 34, which extends from the gate electrode 32 and see Para[0005] “Both the measurement electrode 36 and the reference electrode 40 are in contact with a medium 50 containing the analyte of interest in a concentration to be determined from the current through the FET 30 as controlled by the gate electrode voltage (i.e. the gate electrode 32 from which the gate electrode voltage arises is a control electrode), which, due to the connection 34 between the gate electrode 32 and the measurement electrode 36 is a reproduction of the potential induced (i.e. further comprises a lead terminal electrically coupled to the control electrode and extending from the control electrode)”), and
wherein the voltage is applied to the control electrode via the lead terminal (See Para[0005] “Both the measurement electrode 36 and the reference electrode 40 are in contact with a medium 50 containing the analyte of interest in a concentration to be determined from the current through the FET 30 as controlled by the gate electrode voltage, which, due to the connection 34 between the gate electrode 32 and the measurement electrode 36 is a reproduction of the potential induced (i.e. wherein the voltage is applied to the control electrode via the lead terminal)”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Cummings and Rothberg wherein the detection sensor further comprises a lead terminal electrically coupled to the control electrode and extending from the control electrode, and wherein the voltage is applied to the control electrode via the lead terminal like in Nackaerts in order to define a clear configuration for the control electrode in Rothberg which leads to further control of the performance analysis of the ISFET in Rothberg.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cummings (US 20180003685 A1) and Rothberg (US 20100301398 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wentland (US 20220161661 A1).
With regards to Claim 4, Cummings and Rothberg teach the limitations of claim 1. Cummings further teaches
wherein the at least one processor is configured to (See Para[0056] “In one example, the processor 310 can be configured to access the memory 312 and execute the machine-readable instructions to perform the one or more methods described herein (i.e. wherein the at least one processor is configured to).”).
Cummings is silent to the language of
upon inspecting the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor, determine that a malfunction has occurred in the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor when the electric current between the first electrode and the second electrode exceeds a set appropriate range.
Rothberg teaches
upon inspecting the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor, determine that a malfunction has occurred in the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor (See Para[0162] “improving performance by, for example, improving the signal-to-noise ratio of individual ISFET-based pixels as well as arrays of such pixels.” Therefore, in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, the detection values of the chloride-ion sensors must be inspected (i.e. upon inspecting the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor). A malfunction of the ISFET occurs when the ISFET has a low-signal-to-noise ratio (i.e. determine that a malfunction has occurred in the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor).) and
the electric current between the first electrode and the second electrode (See Para[0006] “This p-channel 63 extends between the source (i.e. the first electrode) and the drain (i.e. the second electrode), and electric current (i.e. the electric current between the first electrode and the second electrode) is conducted through the p-channel).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Cummings wherein upon inspecting the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor, determine that a malfunction has occurred in the at least one chloride-ion detection sensor and have the electric current between the first electrode and the second electrode like in Rothberg in order to have a better performing sensor that can detect corrosive particles via inspecting the current generated by the sensor.
Cummings and Rothberg are silent to the language of
determine that a malfunction has occurred in the sensor when the electric current exceeds a set appropriate range.
Wentland teaches
determine that a malfunction has occurred in the sensor when the electric current exceeds a set appropriate range (See Para[0040] “Furthermore, an electrical current of the electrical energy storage system is acquired and plausibilized, for example by means of an acquisition by a plurality of current sensors (i.e. the sensor) and/or by means of a comparison of a usual current range of the electrical energy storage system. If the acquired current is consequently outside of this usual current range, which, for example, in terms of absolute value is in the range from 0 A to 200 A for battery cells, in particular in the range from 0 A to 10 A, if no electrical energy is retrieved for propulsion of a vehicle, then there is an anomaly (i.e. determine that a malfunction has occurred in the sensor when the electric current exceeds a set appropriate range)”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Cummings and Rothberg wherein determining that a malfunction has occurred in the sensor when the electric current exceeds a set appropriate range is done like in Wentland in order to define a method to properly diagnose performance issues of the ISFET via the electrical currents between the source and drain electrodes in Rothberg.
Conclusion
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/MOSTOFA AHMED HISHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2857
/YOSHIHISA ISHIZUKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857
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