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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: “100” in figure 1. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The specification is objected to because of the following informalities:
The specification does not include reference character “100” shown in figure 1.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, “of each” should be changed to --in each-- in line 8; and --estimated-- should be added before “temperature” in the last line.
In claim 2, --of-- should be added after “outside” in line 2; and --the estimated-- should be added before “temperatures” in line 2.
In claim 3, --estimated-- should be added before “temperature of” in line 2.
In claim 5, “an amount” should be changed to --the amount-- in lines 1-2.
In claims 6, 7, 9, 16, 17, and 19, “temperature value” should be changed to --estimated temperature-- in respective lines 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, and 4.
In claim 11, “of each” should be changed to --in each-- in line 6; and --estimated-- should be added before “temperature” in line 7.
In claim 12, --of-- should be added after “outside” in line 2; and --the estimated-- should be added before “temperatures” in line 3.
In claim 13, --estimated-- should be added before “temperature of” in line 3.
Claims 4, 8, 10, 14, 15, 18, and 20 are objected to for being dependent on an objected base claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 8, 9, 18, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claims 8 and 18, it is not clear what object’s “outside” is being referred to by “outside temperature value” recited in line 2.
Claims 9 and 19 are rejected for being dependent on a rejected base claim.
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.
Claims 1-3, 8, 11-13, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by WO 2025/006971 to Jin et al [hereinafter Jin].
Referring to claim 1, Jin discloses (page 1, line 11; page 2, lines 5-15; page 8, lines 4-9, 20-23, 27-30; page 11, lines 10-11, 20-32; page 12, lines 6-26; page 13, lines 1-5; page 14, lines 29-31; page 15, lines 8-10, 25-28; page 18, lines 31-34; page 19, lines 22-28) an apparatus for diagnosing a state (SOH) (page 15, lines 25-28) of a battery cell, the apparatus comprising:
the battery cell provided in a vehicle (page 1, line 11; page 8, lines 20-23); and
a controller (page 15, lines 8-10) configured to:
divide the battery cell into a plurality of regions (page 11, lines 20-32; page 12, lines 11-26),
determine an amount of heat transfer, an amount of internal heat generation (radiation of heat), and an amount of heat convection in each region (page 12, lines 21-26),
estimate a temperature of each region based on the amount of internal heat generation, the amount of heat transfer, and the amount of heat convection of each region (page 12, lines 21-26; page 19, line 21), and
diagnose the state of the battery cell by using the temperature of each region (page 15, line 28; page 18, lines 31-34).
Referring to claim 2, Jin discloses an apparatus having all of the limitations of claim 2, as stated above with respect to claim 1, and further discloses the controller being configured to diagnose the state of the battery cell by using a temperature outside a normal range among temperatures of the plurality of regions (temperature having a greater chance of affecting performance) (page 11, lines 8-9; page 23, lines 14-29).
Referring to claim 3, Jin discloses an apparatus having all of the limitations of claim 3, as stated above with respect to claim 1, and further discloses the controller being configured to classify the temperature of each region into a plurality of temperature sections and diagnose the state of the battery cell based on the temperature section with a highest risk (criteria) among the plurality of temperature sections (page 11, lines 8-9; page 23, lines 14-29).
Referring to claim 8, Jin discloses an apparatus having all of the limitations of claim 8, as stated above with respect to claim 1, and further discloses a temperature sensor (27) configured to measure an outside temperature value (page 11, line 5).
Referring to claim 11, Jin discloses (page 1, line 11; page 2, lines 5-15; page 8, lines 4-9, 20-23, 27-30; page 11, lines 10-11, 20-32; page 12, lines 6-26; page 13, lines 1-5; page 14, lines 29-31; page 15, lines 8-10, 25-28; page 18, lines 31-34; page 19, lines 22-28) an apparatus for diagnosing a state (SOH) (page 15, lines 25-28) a method of diagnosing a state (SOH) of a battery cell, the method comprising:
dividing, by a controller (page 15, lines 8-10), the battery cell provided in a vehicle (page 1, line 11; page 8, lines 20-23) into a plurality of regions (page 11, lines 20-32; page 12, lines 11-26);
determining, by the controller, an amount of heat transfer, an amount of internal heat generation (radiation of heat), and an amount of heat convection in each region (page 12, lines 21-26);
estimating, by the controller, a temperature of each region based on the amount of internal heat generation, the amount of heat transfer, and the amount of heat convection of each region (page 12, lines 21-26; page 19, line 21); and
diagnosing, by the controller, the state of the battery cell by using the temperature of each region (page 15, line 28; page 18, lines 31-34).
Referring to claim 12, Jin discloses a method having all of the limitations of claim 12, as stated above with respect to claim 11, and further discloses the diagnosing of the state of the battery cell including diagnosing the state of the battery cell by using a temperature outside a normal range among temperatures of the plurality of regions (temperature having a greater chance of affecting performance) (page 11, lines 8-9; page 23, lines 14-29).
Referring to claim 13, Jin discloses a method having all of the limitations of claim 13, as stated above with respect to claim 11, and further discloses the diagnosing of the state of the battery cell including classifying the temperature of each region into a plurality of temperature sections, and diagnosing the state of the battery cell based on the temperature section with a highest risk (criteria) among the plurality of temperature sections (page 11, lines 8-9; page 23, lines 14-29).
Referring to claim 18, Jin discloses a method having all of the limitations of claim 18, as stated above with respect to claim 11, and further discloses measuring, by a temperature sensor (27), an outside temperature value (page 11, line 5).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jin.
Referring to claims 10 and 20, Jin discloses an apparatus and a method having all of the limitations of claims 10 and 20, as stated above with respect to respective claims 1 and 11, except for the controller being configured to divide the battery cell into 3x5 regions or 4x4 regions (as in claim 10) and the dividing of the battery cell into the plurality of regions including dividing the battery cell into 3x5 regions or 4x4 regions (as in claim 20).
However, Jin discloses that the region (mesh) size can impact the results of the diagnosis (page 11, lines 26-32).
Therefore, referring to claims 10 and 20, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the controller of Jin to divide the battery cell into 3x5 regions or 4x4 regions in order to provide a desired accuracy of the diagnosis since Jin discloses that the region size can impact the results of the diagnosis; and since it has been held that discovering an optimum value (e.g., 3x5 or 4x4) of a result-effective variable (region size) involves only routine skill in the art. See In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, 9, 14-17, and 19 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, the objections set forth in this Office action, and to include 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 of record does not disclose or suggest the following in combination with the remaining limitations of the claims:
An apparatus for diagnosing a state of a battery cell, wherein the controller is configured to construct a Randle circuit for each region, determine a current value and a resistance value of the Randle circuit, and determine the amount of internal heat generation of each region based on the current value and resistance value (claim 4); wherein the controller is configured to determine an amount of heat transfer in an x-axis direction and an amount of heat transfer in a y-axis direction for each region (claim 5); and wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of heat convection in each region by using a convective heat transfer coefficient, a convective heat transfer surface area, a previous temperature value of each region, the outside temperature value, and a volume of the battery cell (claim 9).
A method for diagnosing a state of a battery cell, wherein the determining of the amount of heat transfer, the amount of internal heat generation, and the amount of heat convection in each region includes constructing a Randle circuit for each region, determining a current value and a resistance value of the Randle circuit, and determining the amount of internal heat generation of each region based on the current value and resistance value (claim 14); wherein the determining of the amount of heat transfer, the amount of internal heat generation, and the amount of heat convection in each region includes determining an amount of heat transfer in an x-axis direction for each region, and determining an amount of heat transfer in a y-axis direction for each region (claim 15); and wherein the determining of the amount of heat transfer, the amount of internal heat generation, and the amount of heat convection in each region includes determining the amount of heat convection in each region by using a convective heat transfer coefficient, a convective heat transfer surface area, a previous temperature value of each region, the outside temperature value, and a volume of the battery cell (claim 19).
Conclusion
The references made of record and not relied upon by the examiner (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0255576 to Ren et al disclosing determining an abnormal battery temperature; U.S. Patent Application Publication 2016/0124052 to Inguva et al disclosing estimating the life of a battery; and U.S. Patent 11,616,257 to Chung disclosing a management of a battery) are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure by disclosing diagnosing a state of a battery cell, but do not disclose the allowable subject matter stated above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MIRELLYS JAGAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2247. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday-Friday 8-6.
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/MIRELLYS JAGAN/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2855
9/23/26
