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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 65-80 in the reply filed on 7/24/26 is acknowledged. Claims 81-84 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Groups II-V, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 7/12/24, 8/7/24, 8/6/26 were filed on 7/12/24, 8/7/24, 8/6/26. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 5/2/24 are accepted 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 71 and 73 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 71 recites the limitation "the carrier ions" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 73 recites the limitation "the cell assembly" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 65-80 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ramasubramanian et al (US 2009/0208834).
Regarding claims 65-80, Ramasubramanian et al discloses a system comprising a secondary battery cell (device for electrical current conductance), the system comprising: an electrode assembly comprising a cathode “30” (electrode) separated from an anode “32” (counter-electrode) by a separator “35”, the anode comprising active material comprising silicon; a metallized plastic pouch (enclosure), the electrode assembly being disposed in the metallized plastic pouch; and a controller “39” (control unit) configured to operatively couple with the electrode assembly, the controller being configured to at least in part control the electrode assembly, the controller controlling the voltage or the current in a load (discharge) / charge circuit between the cathode and the anode according to the sensed voltage (state of health) of the system; and further comprising a sensor “38” communicatively coupled with the controller; wherein the sensor is configured to measure a voltage or a current of the electrode assembly; and a component “37” (switch) operatively coupled with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to selectively electrically connect to the cathode (electrode); wherein the current between the cathode (electrode) and the anode (counter-electrode) is measured using the sensor; wherein the controller monitors the charge and/or discharge process of the secondary battery cell; wherein stopping the discharge when the silicon anode reaches a voltage of 0.9V relative to lithium; wherein the anode and cathode are electrically coupled, meaning that the carrier ions of the battery can transfer through the electrolyte from the anode to the cathode and from the cathode to the anode ([0009], [0026],[0029],[0031],[0042] and Fig. 3).
Examiner’s note: the Ramasubramanian controller is inherently capable of controlling a first rate of transfer of carrier ions to be greater than or equal to a second rate of transfer; maintaining a ratio between the first rate of transfer and the second rate of transfer; controlling the transfer of the carrier ions relative to a threshold, wherein the threshold is in a range between 0.4 V to 0.9 V; maintaining an end-of- discharge voltage in the cell assembly; controlling an operation of the electrode assembly based at least in part on a rate of transfer of carrier ions between the cathode (electrode) and the anode (counter-electrode) in relation to a current between the cathode (electrode) and the anode (counter-electrode); controlling the transfer of carrier ions relative to the cathode (electrode) and/or the anode (counter-electrode); simultaneously controlling the transfer of the carrier ions relative to the cathode (electrode) and relative to the anode (counter electrode); ending a charging operation; and ending a discharging operation.
Conclusion
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/T.S.C/Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 8/24/2026
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