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 .
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ono et al. (US 8,981,732) in view of Suzuki (US 9,970,990).
Regarding claim 1, Ono et al. discloses a battery monitoring device (element 10, Fig. 1) comprising: an analog-digital converter (element 112, Fig. 1); and a plurality of cell selection switches (element 111, Fig. 1) that selectively connect any of a plurality of battery cells (element 12, Fig. 1) to the analog-digital converter, wherein each of the cell selection switches comprises: a first switch part (elements T1, T2, Fig. 6) that is provided on a conduction path leading from one of the plurality of battery cells to the analog-digital converter, brings the conduction path into a conductive state in an on-state of the first switch part (see col. 9, line 54 through col. 10, line 21 and Fig. 6), and brings the conduction path into a non-conductive state in an off-state of the first switch part; a second switch part (element SW, Fig. 6) that switches on and off of the first switch part (see col. 9, line 54 through col. 10, line 21 and Fig. 6).; a third switch part (element T3, Fig. 6) that switches a magnitude of a current flowing into the first switch part with the first switch part being in the on-state (see col. 9, line 54 through col. 10, line 21 and Fig. 6).
Even assuming arguendo, without conceding, that Ono et al. does not disclose a resistor element that is provided on the conduction path, Suzuki shows that this feature is well known in the art, Suzuki discloses a resistor element (element R1, Fig. 2) that is provided on the conduction path. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results, such as removing noise from the battery voltage before detection.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tanaka et al. (US 8,120,209) discloses a voltage sensing device for an individual cell of a group of battery cells.
Allowable Subject Matter
No art has been found for a prior art rejection of claims 2-6 at this time.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MILTON GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-7914. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, WALTER LINDSAY can be reached at (571) 272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
/M.G/Examiner, Art Unit 2852
3/16/2026
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