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
Claims 11-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election of claims 1-10 and 17-20 was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/22/2025.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 9, 17, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2009/0167244 (Kurose).
Regarding claim 1, Kurose teaches an apparatus (Fig. 1 shows an apparatus) comprising: a battery comprising one or more battery cells (Fig. 1 shows battery 1 comprising one or more battery cells);
a battery safety device coupled to the battery (Fig. 1 shows protection device 4 coupled to battery 1), the battery safety device (Fig. 1 shows protection device 4) configured to:
receive one or more analog signals indicating a measured value of an operational characteristic of a battery cell (Fig. 1 shows protection device 4 comprising protection units 5A-D receive one or more analog signals indicating a measured value of an operational characteristic of a battery cell) [0026-0027]; and
change a state of a control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of the operational characteristic is outside of a safe operating area that is defined for the battery (change state of control signal based on the detected measured value of operational characteristics is outside of safe operating area defined for battery 1) [0027, 0042]; and
a contactor configured to disconnect the battery from a load based on the control signal (Fig. 2 shows a contactor configured to disconnect the battery 1 from a load based on the control signal) [0036-38].
Regarding claim 2, Kurose teaches wherein the operational characteristic includes at least one of voltage, temperature, and current [0026-27].
Regarding claim 3, Kurose teaches further comprising a battery pack enclosing the battery and the battery safety device [0026].
Regarding claim 4, Kurose teaches wherein the battery safety device is remote from a battery management system [0026].
Regarding claim 9, Kurose teaches wherein the battery safety device (Fig. 1 shows protection device) comprises: one or more analog-to-digital converters (Fig. 2 and Fig. 8 shows one or more ADC 101) configured to receive an analog signal indicating the measured value of the operational characteristic and convert the measured value to a digital signal [0036-38]; and a controller (Fig. 2 shows controller 103) configured to receive the digital signal and change the state of the control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of the operational characteristic of the battery is either below a low limit or above a high limit for safe operating area (when the measured value of the voltage detected values from battery cells are higher than the average value i.e. reference value then the controller 103 is configured to receive the digital signal and change the state of the control signal accordingly) [0037-0038, 0042].
Regarding claim 17, Kurose teaches a method comprising: receiving, by a battery safety device coupled to a battery including one or more battery cells (Fig. 1 shows battery 1 comprising one or more battery cells), one or more analog signals indicating a measured value of an operational characteristic of a battery cell (Fig. 1 shows protection device 4 comprising protection units 5A-D receive one or more analog signals indicating a measured value of an operational characteristic of a battery cell) [0026-0027]; and transitioning, by the battery safety device, the battery to a safe state in response to detecting that the measured value of the operational characteristic is outside of a safe operating area that is defined for the battery, including changing a state of a control signal (change state of control signal based on the detected measured value of operational characteristics is outside of safe operating area defined for battery 1) [0027, 0042], wherein a contactor is configured to disconnect the battery from a load based on the control signal (Fig. 2 shows a contactor configured to disconnect the battery 1 from a load based on the control signal) [0036-38].
Regarding claim 19, Kurose teaches wherein the battery safety device (Fig. 1 shows protection device) comprises: one or more analog-to-digital converters (Fig. 2 and Fig. 8 shows one or more ADC 101) configured to receive an analog signal indicating the measured value of the operational characteristic and convert the measured value to a digital signal [0036-38]; and a controller (Fig. 2 shows controller 103) configured to receive the digital signal and change the state of the control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of the operational characteristic of the battery is either below a low limit or above a high limit for safe operating area (when the measured value of the voltage detected values from battery cells are higher than the average value i.e. reference value then the controller 103 is configured to receive the digital signal and change the state of the control signal accordingly) [0037-0038, 0042].
Regarding claim 20, Kurose teaches wherein the battery safety device is remote from a battery management system [0026].
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) 5, 7-8, 10, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2009/0167244 (Kurose) in view of US 2012/0007603 (Zhang).
Regarding claim 5, Kurose teaches wherein the battery safety device (Fig. 1 shows battery protection device) comprises two or more analog comparators including: a second analog comparator configured to change a state of the control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of the operational characteristic of the battery is above a high limit (battery protection device having an analog comparator configured to change a state of the control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of the operational characteristics of the battery is above a high limit) [0042].
However, Kurose does not teach a first analog comparator configured to change a state of a control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of an operational characteristic of the battery is below a low limit.
However, Zhang teaches a first analog comparator configured to change a state of a control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of an operational characteristic of the battery is below a low limit (first analog comparator configured to change a state of a control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of an operational characteristic of the batter V.sub.OUT2 is less than a second threshold) [0036].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a first analog comparator configured to change a state of a control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of an operational characteristic of the battery is below a low limit as taught by Zhang in order to protect the battery from abnormal condition wherein the battery cell voltage is too low to work safely.
Regarding claim 7, Kurose does not teach further comprising a binary counter coupled to address inputs of a multiplexor, wherein the multiplexor selects one or more analog signals of a particular battery cell for output to the first analog comparator and the second analog comparator.
However, Zhang teaches a binary counter (Fig. 7 shows counter 704) coupled to address inputs of a multiplexor (Fig. 7 shows multiplexer 708), wherein the multiplexor selects one or more analog signals of a particular battery cell for output to the first analog comparator and the second analog comparator (multiplexer 708 selects one or more analog signals of a battery cell for output to the comparator) [0046-47].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a binary counter coupled to address inputs of a multiplexor, wherein the multiplexor selects one or more analog signals of a particular battery cell for output to the first analog comparator and the second analog comparator as taught by Zhang in order to protect the battery cells from damages due to over-change/over-discharge.
Regarding claim 8, Kurose teaches wherein there are two or more comparators for each battery cell, each comparator being configured to change the state of the control signal (each ADC 101 having a comparator each) [0036].
Regarding claim 10, Kurose does not teach further comprising a multiplexor that receives one or more analog signals from each of the one or more battery cells; wherein the controller is coupled to the multiplexor via address lines; and wherein the controller selects, via the address lines, one or more analog signals of a particular battery cell for output by the multiplexor to the battery safety device.
However, Zhang teaches further comprising a multiplexor (Fig. 7 shows multiplexer 708) that receives one or more analog signals from each of the one or more battery cells (multiplexer 708 receives one or more analog signals from each of the battery cells) [0046-47]; wherein the controller (Fig. 4 shows controller 404) is coupled to the multiplexor via address lines (Fig. 7 shows multiplexer 708 connected to controller 404) [0046]; and wherein the controller selects, via the address lines, one or more analog signals of a particular battery cell for output by the multiplexor to the battery safety device [0046-47].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further comprising a multiplexor that receives one or more analog signals from each of the one or more battery cells; wherein the controller is coupled to the multiplexor via address lines; and wherein the controller selects, via the address lines, one or more analog signals of a particular battery cell for output by the multiplexor to the battery safety device as taught by Zhang in order to protect the battery cells from damages due to over-change/over-discharge.
Regarding claim 18, Kurose teaches wherein the battery safety device (Fig. 1 shows battery protection device) comprises two or more analog comparators (Fig. 8 shows two or more ADC 101) including: a second analog comparator configured to change a state of the control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of the operational characteristic of the battery is above a high limit (battery protection device having an analog comparator configured to change a state of the control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of the operational characteristics of the battery is above a high limit) [0042].
However, Kurose does not teach a first analog comparator configured to change a state of a control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of an operational characteristic of the battery is below a low limit.
However, Zhang teaches a first analog comparator configured to change a state of a control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of an operational characteristic of the battery is below a low limit (first analog comparator configured to change a state of a control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of an operational characteristic of the batter V.sub.OUT2 is less than a second threshold) [0036].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a first analog comparator configured to change a state of a control signal in response to detecting that the measured value of an operational characteristic of the battery is below a low limit as taught by Zhang in order to protect the battery from abnormal condition wherein the battery cell voltage is too low to work safely.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SWARNA N CHOWDHURI whose telephone number is (571)431-0696. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.
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SWARNA N. CHOWDHURI
Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/S.N.C/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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