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 .
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on 23 July 2026 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of U.S. Patent No. 12,548,804 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded. The double patenting rejection of the previous office action is withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Specifically, as noted in the previous rejection, what is considered “the detection terminal” in the Nishihara et al. prior art may be considered to include the region R11 of the FPC 50 which directly faces the battery cell 10 and includes connection terminal 70 – annotated figure 16c below:
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Further, the Examiner notes that claims 1-19 are drawn to “A detection circuit for acquiring state information of a plurality of battery cells” and it has not been established if the limitations relating to the battery cells are positively limiting the structure of the instant claims as the battery cells are only an intended application of the detection circuit (Under MPEP §2111.02, a claim preamble limits a patent claim only when it provides essential structure, antecedent basis, or is necessary to give “life, meaning, and vitality” to the claim; otherwise, it is generally non‑limiting). In the instant case, “a plurality of battery cells” in the preamble does establish antecedent basis to the battery cells recited in the body of the claim, however, the “detection circuit” itself has enough structure to constitute a structure without the additional of the battery cells.
Therefore, the rejection based on the prior art of record is modified (as necessitated by the amendments) and this action is FINAL.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1 or 2) as being anticipated by Nishihara et al. (US Pub 2011/0024205 cited in IDS).
In regard to independent claims 1 and 20, Nishihara et al. teach a battery pack 100, comprising: a plurality of battery cells 10; and a detection circuit for acquiring state information of a plurality of battery cells 10, the detection circuit comprising: a connection terminal (including PTC element 60 joined to attachment portions 42,46 of bus bars 40 in region R11 via connection 51) separated from a detection terminal (detecting circuit 20 including conductor and detection lines, and thermistors 11 connected via connection terminals 72) and divided towards different battery cells 10 along a main body (flexible printed circuit board i.e. FPC board 50 including multiple regions R and detection circuit 20 - see figure 8) of the detection circuit,
wherein: the connection terminal R11, 60 is connected to a first bus bar 40 of a plurality of bus bars 40 at a raised level from the main body 50 (such as region R12 of FPC 50) of the detection circuit (see figure 7a annotated below, structure is bent in a stepped structure along line B1):
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In regard to the amendment, the detection terminal (portion R11 of FPCB 50 which includes connection terminal 70 connecting detection circuit 20 to thermistors 11) is (thermally and electrically) conductively connected to a first surface of a first battery cell 10 of the plurality of battery cells while overlapped with each other at the same level of the main body of the detection circuit, and directly faces the first surface of the first battery cell without any other element between the detection terminal and the first surface of the first battery cell (see figure 16c annotated below, which shows how portions R11 of FPCB which include terminal connections 70 to thermistor 11 and detection circuit 20 is directly facing the top surface of the battery cell 10).
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In regard to claim 2, the detection terminal R11, 11, 20, 72 is in contact with the first surface of the first battery cell 10 and is electrically connected to the first surface of the first battery cell (paragraph [0072]).
In regard to claim 3, an electrode terminal (plus and minus electrodes 10a, 10b) is on the first surface of the first battery cell (paragraph [0083]).
In regard to claim 4, the electrode terminal includes first and second electrode terminals 10a, 10b having opposite polarities, and the first surface of the first battery cell is electrically connected to the first electrode terminal (paragraph [0083]).
In regard to claim 5, the plurality of battery cells are arranged as an array of battery cells, the main body 50 of the detection circuit extends along the array of battery cells, and the detection terminal includes a plurality of detection terminals 11 that branch off from the main body of the detection circuit (figure 10 and 11).
In regard to claim 6, the detection terminal comprises a plurality of detection terminals (R11, 70, 11) that branch off side by side from the main body of the detection circuit in an identical direction (figure 10 and 11).
In regard to claim 7, the plurality of detection terminals 11 are fewer in number than the plurality of battery cells 10 (figure 10).
In regard to claim 8, battery cells 10 arranged adjacent to each other in the array of battery cells are connected in parallel to each other to form parallel modules (paragraph [0273]), and each of the detection terminals 11 is conductively connected to the first surface of any one battery cell of each of the parallel modules (figure 10).
In regard to claim 9, the plurality of battery cells 10 are arranged as an array of battery cells, and the plurality of bus bars 40 electrically connect battery cells that are not adjacent to each other in the array of battery cells (all battery cells 10 are connected via busbars, including non-adjacent cells).
In regard to claim 10, opposite polarities of the first battery cells 10 that are not adjacent to each other in the array of battery cells are connected to each other in series by the first bus bar 40 (paragraph [0273] – all cells may be connected in series or parallel to obtain required current).
In regard to claim 11, the detection circuit 20 and a bus bar holder (frames 92, 93, 94; covers 80) are sequentially arranged above the first surfaces of the plurality of battery cells, the detection circuit R11, 70 being between the first surface of the plurality of battery cells 10 and the bus bar holder 80, and a coupling hole (exposed portions of cell 10 between frames 93 and 94) is formed through the bus bar holder such that access is allowed for a coupling tool to conductively connect the detection terminal 11 of the detection circuit to the first surface of each of the plurality of battery cells (figure 10, paragraphs [0068-0091]).
In regard to claim 12, the coupling hole corresponds to a coupling position between the detection terminal and the first surface of each of the plurality of battery cells (figure 10).
In regard to claim 13, the first bus bar 40 is electrically connected to the first battery cell 10 having a lowest negative-electrode voltage in the array of battery cells (all cells are considered electrically connected to all busbars in the series-parallel arrangement).
In regard to claim 14, the first bus bar 40 is connected to an output terminal of a battery pack (contactor 102, power supply line 501 – figure 1, paragraph [0068]).
In regard to claim 15, an insulating bus bar holder (insulating layer of FPC 50 – paragraph [0091], rectangular insulating layer 200 made of polyamide – paragraph [0156])) is between the first bus bar 40 and the detection circuit 20, and a through-hole (terminal lines 51, 52; though holes H1, H2 etc.) extends through the bus bar holder to allow the connection terminal to pass through the through-hole (paragraph [0217-0223]).
In regard to claim 16, the connection terminal includes: an extension portion (conductor lines 52, region R12 etc.) that is bent from the main body of the detection circuit and extends toward the first bus bar; and a terminal portion (conductor line 51) that is bent from the extension portion and is connected to the first bus bar 40 (see figure 11 below; see also various bends in FPC 50 in figure 9).
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In regard to claim 17, the connection terminal 60 and the main body of the detection circuit are at different levels, and the detection terminal 11 is level with the main body of the detection circuit 20 (figure 5).
In regard to claim 18, the connection terminal 60 and the detection terminal 11 branch off side by side from the main body of the detection circuit in an identical direction (see figure 24, bus bar connections and thermistor connections both extend in Y direction).
In regard to claim 19, the detection terminal (thermistors 11, circuit 20) is not in contact with an electrode terminal 10a, 10b of the first battery cell (figure 5).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US Pub 2019/0237817 teaches similar connection and detections modules on different planes for a battery module (see figure 2-4). Nakayama et al. (US Pub 2026/0221604 newly cited) teaches a similar detection circuit (figures 6-9).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Nicholas P D'Aniello whose telephone number is (571)270-3635. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tong Guo can be reached on 571-272-3066. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICHOLAS P D'ANIELLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723
