CTNF 18/839,520 CTNF 84743 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101 07-04-01 AIA 07-04 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows: Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title. Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claim invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. Claim 1 recites, “A voltage measurement system diagnosis system, comprising: a data acquirer that acquires voltage data of each cell of a battery pack in which a plurality of cells are connected in series or voltage data of each parallel cell block of a battery pack in which parallel cell blocks, which each include a plurality of cells connected in parallel, are connected in series; and a judgment unit that judges, when a fluctuation in a voltage of each of two cells adjacent among the plurality of cells or two parallel cell blocks adjacent among the plurality of parallel cell blocks exceeds a threshold, that there is an abnormality in a voltage measurement system between a connection point of the two cells or the two parallel cell blocks and a voltage measurement unit.” The limitation, “a judgment unit that judges, when a fluctuation in a voltage of each of two cells adjacent among the plurality of cells or two parallel cell blocks adjacent among the plurality of parallel cell blocks exceeds a threshold, that there is an abnormality in a voltage measurement system between a connection point of the two cells or the two parallel cell blocks and a voltage measurement unit”, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, is a combination of mental process and/or mathematical concept, which is an abstract idea. The judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional element: “a data acquirer that acquires voltage data of each cell of a battery pack….”. The data acquirer represents a mere data gathering activity and does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. As recited in MPEP section 2106.05(g), data gathering is considered insignificant extra-solution activity in light of Mayo, 566 U.S. at 79, 101 USPQ2d at 1968; OIP Techs., Inc. V. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 1363, 115 USPQ2d 1090, 1092-93 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (presenting offers and gathering statistics amounted to mere data gathering). Furthermore, the additional element, “a judgement unit”, is recited at a high-level of generality, i.e. generic computer processor for performing generic computer functions, such as judging and/or analyzing the collected data and does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Therefore, the claim is patent ineligible. Independent claims 5 and 6 recite subject matter that is similar or analogous to that of claim 1, and therefore, the claims are also patent ineligible. Dependent claims 2-4 fail to incorporate anything significantly more than the abstract idea of claim 1. Claims 2-4 recite additional steps of the analyzing the collected data, which are considered part of an expanded abstract idea of the independent claim 1, and do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. The dependent claims are, therefore, also patent ineligible. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA) 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1 and 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamamoto (JP 2020-48383 cited by applicant) . Regarding claims 1 and 5-6, Yamamoto teaches a voltage measurement system diagnosis system, comprising: a data acquirer (7) that acquires voltage data of each cell of a battery pack in which a plurality of cells are connected in series or voltage data of each parallel cell block of a battery pack in which parallel cell blocks, which each include a plurality of cells connected in parallel, are connected in series (para. 6); and a judgment unit (8) that judges, when a fluctuation in a voltage of each of two cells adjacent among the plurality of cells or two parallel cell blocks adjacent among the plurality of parallel cell blocks exceeds a threshold, that there is an abnormality in a voltage measurement system between a connection point of the two cells or the two parallel cell blocks and a voltage measurement unit (para. 44-46). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH Q PHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3898. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. 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, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at 571-272-3555. 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. MINH Q. PHAN Primary Examiner Art Unit 2852 /MINH Q PHAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/839,520 Page 2 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/839,520 Page 3 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/839,520 Page 4 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/839,520 Page 5 Art Unit: 2852
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