DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Stefanoupolou et al. [US 20200313152].
As to claim 1. Stefanopoulou discloses A method for detecting a state of an energy storage device, comprising:
acquiring at least one of a change signal of a temperature, [0051] derivative of a temperature over time, or a change signal of a pressure, [0048] sense pressure as an electrical signal, then determine the derivative of the signal over time, inside the energy storage device, [0048, 0051] inside a battery cell; and
determining the state of the energy storage device based on the at least one of the change signal of the temperature or the change signal of the pressure, [0048, 0051] determine internal short circuit of the battery cell.
As to claim 2. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 1, wherein:
the change signal of the temperature comprises at least one of a numerical relationship of the temperature, a derivative relationship of the temperature, [0051], or a derivative relationship between the temperature and the pressure; and
the change signal of the pressure comprises at least one of a numerical relationship of the pressure, a derivative relationship of the pressure, [0048], or a derivative relationship between the temperature and the pressure.
As to claim 3. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 1, further comprising: triggering a warning when the state of the energy storage device meets a preset condition, [0048, 0051] alert provided when short circuit is detected.
As to claim 4. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 3, wherein the warning comprises a first warning, configured to be triggered when the energy storage device is determined to be in an irreversible state, [0049, 0080] short circuit detected based on detection of an irreversible state.
As to claim 5. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 4, wherein the energy storage device comprises a battery, and the irreversible state comprises at least one of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) decomposition, [0049], separator melting, electrode-electrolyte reaction, electrode-binder reaction, or electrolyte decomposition.
As to claim 6. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 4, wherein the first warning is determined based on at least one of a derivative relationship of the temperature or a derivative relationship of the pressure, [0048, 0051] short circuit detected based on detection of derivative of temperature or pressure signal.
As to claim 7. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 6, wherein the first warning is determined based on at least one of the occurrence of an inflection point in a derivative of the temperature or the occurrence of an inflection point in a derivative of the pressure, [fig. 8, 0088] sudden spikes in derivative of force in time.
As to claim 8. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 3, wherein the warning further comprises a second warning, configured to be triggered when the energy storage device is determined to be in an internal short circuit state, [0048, 0051] and/or a safety valve opening state.
As to claim 9. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 8, wherein the internal short circuit state comprises at least one of separator melting, [0109], contact between positive and negative electrodes, or voltage drop; and the safety valve opening state comprises at least one of gas release, [0048] gas venting, pressure increase, or mass loss.
As to claim 10. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 8, wherein the second warning is triggered when at least one of the following is met: the temperature suddenly jumps, [0048, 0100, 0101] alert provided when short circuit is detected due to thermal runaway; or the pressure suddenly drops after reaching a maximum value, [0048, 0088] alert provided when short circuit is detected due to sudden spikes in force, [0048] used for measuring swelling force.
As to claim 11. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 3, wherein the warning further comprises a third warning, configured to be triggered when the energy storage device is determined to be in a thermal runaway state, [0048, 0088] alert provided when short circuit is detected due to thermal runaway.
As to claim 12. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 11, wherein the thermal runaway state comprises at least one of continuous temperature rise, gas release, [0048] gas venting, the emergence of a second pressure peak, combustion, or explosion.
As to claim 13. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 11, wherein the third warning is triggered when the temperature continues to rise while the pressure first increases and then decreases, [fig. 8, 0088] force spike while temperature is increasing.
As to claim 14. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the method is by means of a detection device, wherein the detection device comprises a sensing module and an analyzing module, [0048, 0051] sensor and battery management module including a controller, wherein:
the acquiring at least one of a change signal of a temperature or a change signal of a pressure inside the energy storage device is by means of the sensing model, [0056, 0088]; and
the determining the state of the energy storage device is by means of the analyzing module, [0048, 0051].
As to claim 15. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 14, wherein the sensing module comprises at least one of an optical sensor, [0095], or an electrical sensor, [0048, 0051].
As to claim 16. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 15, wherein:
the optical sensor comprises an optical chip, [0095] and/or a fiber sensor, wherein the fiber sensor comprises one or more of a tilted fiber Bragg grating, a fiber Bragg grating, a long-period fiber grating, a fiber core diameter mismatch device, a fiber core misalignment device, a tapered fiber device, a micro/nano fiber device, a Fabry-Perot fiber device, a single/multi-mode fiber structure device, a photonic crystal fiber device, a microstructure fiber device, a polymer fiber device, a sapphire optical device, a fiber laser device, a fiber coupling device, or a self-assembled optical device; and
the electrical sensor comprises one or more of a thermistor, a thermocouple, [0096], a thermal capacitor, a nano temperature sensor, an infrared temperature sensor, a piezoresistive sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, a piezoelectric ceramic sensor, a piezoelectric acoustic wave sensor, a piezoelectric resonance sensor, a pressure wire sensor, or a capacitive sensor.
As to claim 17. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 16, wherein the fiber sensor comprises a fiber Bragg grating and a Fabry-Perot fiber device, from the alternative limitations, the fiber sensor is not elected for examination above in claim 16, as the broadest reasonable interpretation of the limitation does not include the fiber sensor.
As to claim 18. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 14, wherein the sensing module is arranged at an interior position of the energy storage device, wherein the interior position comprises one or more of an internal gap position, an electrode position, [0099] placed at the electrodes 51, 52, a separator position, an electrolyte position, and a tab position, [0099] placed at the electrodes 51, 52; wherein the internal gap position comprises one or more of a cell hole position, a cell top cover position, and a cell shell inner side position.
As to claim 19. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises a lithium-ion battery, [0196], a solid-state battery, a lithium metal battery, a lithium-sulfur battery, a lithium-air battery, a sodium-ion battery, a zinc-ion battery, an aluminum-ion battery, a magnesium-ion battery, a potassium-ion battery, a sodium-sulfur battery, a flow battery, a liquid metal battery, a metal-air battery, a lead-acid battery, a fuel cell, a solar cell, or a supercapacitor.
As to claim 20. Stefanopoulou discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the energy storage device comprises at least one of a state of health (SOH), a state of charge (SOC), [0112], or a safety lifespan.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENYAM HAILE whose telephone number is (571)272-2080. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM Mon. - Thur..
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Lim can be reached at (571)270-1210. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Benyam Haile/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2688