DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed 07/25/2024, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 07/31/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the 202310958462.3 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claims 4, 5, 9, 10, and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Re claim 4, it appears that “the first threshold” should be “a first threshold”.
Re claim 5, it appears that “the second threshold” should be “a second threshold”.
Re claim 9, it appears that “the first threshold” should be “a first threshold”. It appears that “the second threshold” should be “a second threshold”.
Re claim 10, it appears that “the first threshold” should be “a first threshold”. It appears that “the second threshold” should be “a second threshold”.
Re claim 14, it appears that “a second connection point” should be “the second connection point”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen et al. (“Chen”, US 2015/0244288).
Re claim 1, Chen teaches an apparatus [Fig 2] comprising: a direct current-direct current (DC-DC) conversion circuit [110]; and a controller [120], wherein the DC-DC conversion circuit comprises a first bridge arm, the first bridge arm comprises an upper bridge arm switch [S1] and a lower bridge arm switch [S2] that are connected in series, and the controller is configured to: control the upper bridge arm switch and the lower bridge arm switch based on a voltage [Vzd1] of a first connection point [node connecting Czd1, R3, R4] between the upper bridge arm switch and the lower bridge arm switch in the first bridge arm [Q2 and Q1 switch on/off during the positive half cycles, as shown in Table (1)].
Re claim 2, Chen teaches wherein the controller is further configured to: after the voltage of the first connection point is less than a first threshold [zero cross point], control the upper bridge arm switch of the first bridge arm to be turned off [Q1 turns off during the negative half cycle, as indicated in Table (2), paragraph 70].
Re claim 4, Chen teaches wherein the controller is further configured to: after the voltage of the first connection point is greater than the first threshold [Vref3], control the upper bridge arm switch of the first bridge arm to switch between being turned on and being turned off [paragraph 70, control signal S1 activates on/off cycle of Q1 according to Table (1)].
Re claim 6, Chen teaches wherein the DC-DC conversion circuit further comprises a second bridge arm [comprising Q3, Q4], the first bridge arm and the second bridge arm are connected in parallel, the second bridge arm comprises an upper bridge arm switch [Q3] and a lower bridge arm switch [Q4] that are connected in series, and the controller is further configured to: control the upper bridge arm switch and the lower bridge arm switch of the first bridge arm, and the upper bridge arm switch and the lower bridge arm switch of the second bridge arm based on the voltage of the first connection point [node connecting Czd1, R3, R4] between the upper bridge arm switch and the lower bridge arm switch in the first bridge arm [Q2 and Q1 switch on/off during the positive half cycles, as shown in Table (1)] and a voltage of a second connection point [node connecting Czd2, R5, R6] between the upper bridge arm switch and the lower bridge arm switch in the second bridge arm [Q3 and Q4 switch on/off during the negative half cycles, as shown in Table (2)].
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 of this title, 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 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Weicker et al. (“Weicker”, US 2017/0254858).
Re claim 20, Chen teaches the limitations as applied to the claim above but does not teach an energy storage apparatus comprising: a battery control unit; a plurality of battery packs, wherein the plurality of battery packs is disposed in parallel; and the power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion apparatus is configured to perform power conversion on electric energy input by each battery pack and then output, to the battery control unit, electric energy obtained after the conversion.
Weicker teaches a device [Figs 1, 2] having an energy storage apparatus comprising: a battery control unit [160]; a plurality of battery packs [208a-n], wherein the plurality of battery packs is disposed in parallel [as shown in Fig 2]; also having a power conversion apparatus [120] configured to perform power conversion on electric energy input by each battery pack and then output, to the battery control unit, electric energy obtained after the conversion [paragraph 29]. It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Chen to include the features of Weicker because it is used to provide scalability and flexibility using multiple power sources, thus improving the utility of the device, which increases efficiency.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, and 7-19 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to teach or disclose:
Re claim 3 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “the controller is further configured to: after the voltage of the first connection point is greater than a second threshold, control the lower bridge arm switch of the first bridge arm to be turned off” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Re claim 5 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “the controller is further configured to: after the voltage of the first connection point is less than the second threshold, control the lower bridge arm switch of the first bridge arm to switch between being turned on and being turned off” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Re claim 7 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “the controller is further configured to: after the voltage of the first connection point is less than a first threshold or the voltage of the second connection point is greater than a second threshold, control both the upper bridge arm switch of the first bridge arm and the lower bridge arm switch of the second bridge arm to be turned off” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Re claim 8 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “the controller is further configured to: after the voltage of the second connection point is less than a first threshold or the voltage of the first connection point is greater than a second threshold, control both the upper bridge arm switch of the second bridge arm and the lower bridge arm switch of the first bridge arm to be turned off” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Re claim 9 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “the controller is further configured to: after the voltage of the first connection point is greater than the first threshold and the voltage of the second connection point is less than the second threshold, control the upper bridge arm switch of the first bridge arm and the lower bridge arm switch of the second bridge arm to be simultaneously turned on or turned off” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Re claim 10 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “the controller is further configured to: after the voltage of the second connection point is greater than the first threshold and the voltage of the first connection point is less than the second threshold, control the upper bridge arm switch of the second bridge arm and the lower bridge arm switch of the first bridge arm to be simultaneously turned on or turned off” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Re claim 11 and its dependents thereof, the closet prior art (which has been made of record) fail to disclose (by themselves or in combination): “the controller is further configured to: control the upper bridge arm switch and the lower bridge arm switch of the first bridge arm based on the voltage of the first connection point between the upper bridge arm switch and the lower bridge arm switch in the first bridge arm, and control the upper bridge arm switch and the lower bridge arm switch of the second bridge arm based on a voltage of a second connection point between the upper bridge arm switch and the lower bridge arm switch in the second bridge arm” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by Applicant.
Conclusion
Examiner's Note:
Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAKAISHA JACKSON whose telephone number is (571)270-3111. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-5:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MONICA LEWIS can be reached on 571-272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LaKaisha Jackson/
Examiner, Art Unit 2838