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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2026/0002996 to Dehghan-Azad et al. (Dehghan-Azad).
Regarding claim 1, Dehghan-Azad discloses a vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body (Dehghan-Azad, e.g., Fig. 2 and paragraphs 52-96; for example, see paragraph 53, battery 202 produces a high voltage, such as a voltage of around 800V for example for driving one or more electric motors of a vehicle, such as motor 206; it is implicit that motor 206 and associated components are mounted to a vehicle body);
a battery and
a detection device provided to an electric circuit on the vehicle body side and configured to detect whether an electric leakage has occurred, wherein the detection device is configured to detect whether the electric leakage has occurred in at least one of a conductive state in which the battery and the electric circuit are connected and a disconnected state in which the battery and the electric circuit are disconnected (Dehghan-Azad, e.g., Fig. 2 and paragraphs 52-96; for example, see paragraph 67, isolation monitor 240 can be used to detect isolation failures between the low voltage and the high voltage parts of the system and may be connected across the rails 201 and 203 of the DC link as shown in Fig. 2; isolation monitor 240 may be configured to detect an isolation fault in the system before connection of the high voltage supply 202 to the inverter 204 (i.e. before contacts 205 are closed to connect the battery 202 to the inverter); Dehghan-Azad therefore discloses the detection device is configured to detect whether the electric leakage has occurred at least in a disconnected state in which the battery and the electric circuit are disconnected).
Dehghan-Azad is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing that high voltage battery 202 is detachable from the vehicle body. In the electric vehicle arts, the detachability of a DC traction battery, such as Dehghan-Azad’s high voltage battery 202, was well-known and conventional before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains in order to enable, for example, replacement of the battery at the end of its service life. It 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 to modify Dehghan-Azad such that the high voltage battery 202 is detachable from the vehicle body for at least the reason that this would provide the advantage of replaceability when the high voltage battery 202 reaches the end of its service life, as is well-known and conventional in the electric vehicle arts.
Although not presently relied upon in connection with any rejection, the examiner notes for purposes of compact prosecution that at least claim 1 also appears to be obvious in view of EP3660520A1 to Goede et al. (see discussion below under Conclusion).
Regarding claim 4, Dehghan-Azad is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing a notification device configured to give a notification about occurrence of the electric leakage in the vehicle body when the detection device has detected the electric leakage of the electric circuit in the disconnected state. Dehghan-Azad nonetheless discloses faults associated with isolation failures can lead to insufficient isolation between the conductors or motor windings, which can cause leakages and open circuits, and eventually motor failure (Dehghan-Azad, e.g., paragraph 4). Dehghan-Azad further discloses that to meet the latest functional safety requirements, diagnostics of faults within the electric drive train of an electric vehicle are required (Dehghan-Azad, e.g., paragraph 4). It 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 to modify Dehghan-Azad to include a notification device configured to give a notification about occurrence of the electric leakage in the vehicle body when the detection device has detected the electric leakage of the electric circuit in the disconnected state. In this way, through the use of well-known and conventional indication devices (e.g., display screen, indicator light, audible indicator), a user may be apprised of the existence of the electric leakage of the electric circuit so that suitable repair and/or safety measures can be taken. Such reasoning falls well within the inferences and creative steps that a person of ordinary skill in the art would employ in light of the teachings of Dehghan-Azad and the necessity of indicating conditions that are potentially hazardous to persons and/or equipment.
Claims 2-3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dehghan-Azad, and further in view of US 2017/0120771 to Alser et al. (Alser).
Regarding claim 2, Dehghan-Azad discloses wherein the detection device is configured to detect whether the electric leakage of the electric circuit has occurred in the disconnected state (see Dehghan-Azad as applied to claim 1). In Dehghan-Azad’s arrangement of Fig. 2, when the electric leakage is not detected, battery contacts 108, 205 may be closed to apply a high voltage to the inverter (Dehghan-Azad, e.g., paragraph 96). Dehghan-Azad is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing and, when the electric leakage is not detected, detect whether the electric leakage has occurred in the conductive state.
In related art, Alser discloses an adaptive and adjustable isolation fault testing of a multi-string battery of an electric vehicle. With reference to Figs. 2-3 of Alser in connection with the battery test process of Fig. 4 (see Alser, paragraphs 32-41), in step 402, an isolation test can be performed on a first battery string. For example, the processor 304 can send the isolation test control signal 316 (FIG. 3) to close the switch 314 (FIG. 3) to connect the positive string node 216 to the test load 310 to the chassis ground. The battery management system 160 can receive the voltage measurement between the positive string node 216 and the chassis ground. The voltage at the positive string node 216 can be processed through one or more circuits and the ADC 302, and the processor 304 can determine whether the voltage received is close to the expected voltage based on the test load 310. The processor 304 can also control the connect control signal 214 to disconnect the battery string 206 from the power buses 202, 204 when, for example, a potential fault is detected at the positive string node 216. Similar switch signals 214 and 320 can be sent from the processor 304 in testing the negative string node 218. In step 404, it is determined whether a fault was detected from the isolation test of the first battery string. If a fault is detected the process 400 proceeds to step 406. If no fault is detected, the process proceeds to step 408. In step 406, an error is indicated that there is a fault associated with the first battery string. If a fault is detected, the processor 304 may flag that there is a fault associated with the first battery string. The processor 304 may further indicate the type of the fault (e.g., internal or external) and/or the location of the fault. In some embodiments, the processor 304 may gather, store, and/or transfer data relevant to fault determination for further later processing or for processing by other processing units either within or external to the battery management system 160. Also in some embodiments, the processor 304 can communicate the fault status with other circuitry or subsystems to the drive system 100 or the electric vehicle so that further remedial action can be executed in response to detection of one or more faults. In step 408, isolation test can be performed on a second battery string. The isolation test of the second battery string can be substantially similar to the isolation test performed on the first battery string discussed above in connection with step 402. In step 410, fault detection is performed on the second battery string. The fault detection at the second battery string is substantially similar to the fault detection performed on the first battery string discussed above in connection with step 404. In step 412, error indication is performed with respect to the second battery. The error indication on the second battery string is substantially similar to the error indication on the first battery string discussed above in connection with step 406. In step 414, isolation test can be performed on a third battery string. The isolation test of the third battery string can be substantially similar to the isolation test performed on the first and the second battery string. After repeating the similar testing, fault detecting, and error indicating steps for all the battery strings 206, the process 400 may loop back to step 402 to test the first battery string.
The examiner notes that Alser’s process of Fig. 4 is performable with the battery string switches 210, 212 (e.g., Fig. 3) closed (Alser, e.g., paragraph 35), and that processor 304 can also control the connect control signal 214 to disconnect the battery string 206 from the power buses 202, 204 when, for example, a potential fault is detected (Alser, e.g., paragraph 35). Alser similarly discloses that the battery management circuit is configured to perform isolation fault testing while the inverter is drawing current from the first power bus (see, e.g., claim 2), which establishes that detecting whether electric leakage has occurred is performed during the conductive state of Alser’s battery (e.g., battery 110 of Fig. 1) which is comprised of the battery strings 206 to undergo isolation testing in accordance with the process of Fig. 4. Alser therefore discloses a detection device provided to an electric circuit on the vehicle body side and configured to detect whether an electric leakage has occurred in at least a conductive state in which the battery and the electric circuit are connected. It 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 to modify Dehghan-Azad such that when the electric leakage is not detected (e.g., when Dehghan-Azad’s battery contacts 108, 205 are closed to apply a high voltage to the inverter), the detection device is configured to detect whether the electric leakage of the electric circuit has occurred in the conductive state (e.g., when Dehghan-Azad’s inverter is drawing power from the battery 202). In this way, in the manner disclosed by Alser, during a conductive state in which the battery and electric circuit (e.g., inverter) are connected, isolation fault testing can be performed in an adjustable or predetermined loop having dedicated time windows for respective battery strings in compliance with the system requirements, specification, and regulatory regime.
Regarding claim 3, Dehghan-Azad as applied to claim 1 is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing wherein:
the vehicle body is configured such that a plurality of the batteries is mountable;
each of the batteries includes a relay configured to connect or disconnect the electric circuit; and
the detection device is configured to change a combination of an ON state and an OFF state of the relays of the batteries and detect whether the electric leakage has occurred in each of the batteries.
In related art, Alser discloses an adaptive and adjustable isolation fault testing of a multi-string battery of an electric vehicle. With reference to Figs. 2-3 of Alser in connection with the battery test process of Fig. 4 (see Alser, paragraphs 32-41), in step 402, an isolation test can be performed on a first battery string. For example, the processor 304 can send the isolation test control signal 316 (FIG. 3) to close the switch 314 (FIG. 3) to connect the positive string node 216 to the test load 310 to the chassis ground. The battery management system 160 can receive the voltage measurement between the positive string node 216 and the chassis ground. The voltage at the positive string node 216 can be processed through one or more circuits and the ADC 302, and the processor 304 can determine whether the voltage received is close to the expected voltage based on the test load 310. The processor 304 can also control the connect control signal 214 to disconnect the battery string 206 from the power buses 202, 204 when, for example, a potential fault is detected at the positive string node 216. Similar switch signals 214 and 320 can be sent from the processor 304 in testing the negative string node 218. In step 404, it is determined whether a fault was detected from the isolation test of the first battery string. If a fault is detected the process 400 proceeds to step 406. If no fault is detected, the process proceeds to step 408. In step 406, an error is indicated that there is a fault associated with the first battery string. If a fault is detected, the processor 304 may flag that there is a fault associated with the first battery string. The processor 304 may further indicate the type of the fault (e.g., internal or external) and/or the location of the fault. In some embodiments, the processor 304 may gather, store, and/or transfer data relevant to fault determination for further later processing or for processing by other processing units either within or external to the battery management system 160. Also in some embodiments, the processor 304 can communicate the fault status with other circuitry or subsystems to the drive system 100 or the electric vehicle so that further remedial action can be executed in response to detection of one or more faults. In step 408, isolation test can be performed on a second battery string. The isolation test of the second battery string can be substantially similar to the isolation test performed on the first battery string discussed above in connection with step 402. In step 410, fault detection is performed on the second battery string. The fault detection at the second battery string is substantially similar to the fault detection performed on the first battery string discussed above in connection with step 404. In step 412, error indication is performed with respect to the second battery. The error indication on the second battery string is substantially similar to the error indication on the first battery string discussed above in connection with step 406. In step 414, isolation test can be performed on a third battery string. The isolation test of the third battery string can be substantially similar to the isolation test performed on the first and the second battery string. After repeating the similar testing, fault detecting, and error indicating steps for all the battery strings 206, the process 400 may loop back to step 402 to test the first battery string.
In Alser’s arrangement of Figs. 2-3, each of battery strings 206 constitute a battery (or sub-battery), and each of battery strings 206 includes a relay configured to connect or disconnect the electric circuit (e.g., Fig. 3, test load switch 314n, test load switch 318n; also see paragraph 29, switches 314, 318 can be implemented with relays). Further, Alser discloses a detection device configured to change a combination of an ON state and an OFF state of the relays of the batteries and detect whether the electric leakage has occurred in each of the batteries (Alser, e.g., paragraph 31, processor 304 can control the timing and interval of opening and closing of the switches 210, 212, 314, and 318 of the individual battery strings 206; also see process of Fig. 4 of Alser discussed above, e.g., paragraph 34).
It 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 to modify Dehghan-Azad such that the vehicle body is configured such that a plurality of the batteries is mountable, with each of the batteries including a relay configured to connect or disconnect the electric circuit, and with the detection device being configured to change a combination of an ON state and an OFF state of the relays of the batteries and detect whether the electric leakage has occurred in each of the batteries. In this way, in the manner disclosed by Alser, during a conductive state in which the battery and electric circuit (e.g., inverter) are connected, isolation fault testing can be performed in an adjustable or predetermined loop having dedicated time windows for respective battery strings in compliance with the system requirements, specification, and regulatory regime.
Regarding claim 5, Dehghan-Azad as applied to claim 1 is not relied upon as explicitly disclosing a notification device configured to give a notification about occurrence of the electric leakage in the battery when the detection device has not detected the electric leakage of the electric circuit in the disconnected state and has detected the electric leakage of the electric circuit in the conductive state.
For reasons identical to those discussed above in connection with the rejection of claim 2, it 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 to modify Dehghan-Azad in view of the teachings of Alser such that when the electric leakage is not detected (e.g., when Dehghan-Azad’s battery contacts 108, 205 are closed to apply a high voltage to the inverter), the detection device is configured to detect whether the electric leakage of the electric circuit has occurred in the conductive state (e.g., when Dehghan-Azad’s inverter is drawing power from the battery 202). In this way, in the manner disclosed by Alser, during a conductive state in which the battery and electric circuit (e.g., inverter) are connected, isolation fault testing can be performed in an adjustable or predetermined loop having dedicated time windows for respective battery strings in compliance with the system requirements, specification, and regulatory regime.
Further, it 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 to modify Dehghan-Azad in view of Alser to include a notification device configured to give a notification about occurrence of the electric leakage in the battery when the detection device has not detected the electric leakage of the electric circuit in the disconnected state and has detected the electric leakage of the electric circuit in the conductive state. In this way, through the use of well-known and conventional indication devices (e.g., display screen, indicator light, audible indicator), a user may be apprised of the existence of the electric leakage in the battery so that suitable repair and/or safety measures can be taken. Such reasoning falls well within the inferences and creative steps that a person of ordinary skill in the art would employ in light of the teachings of Dehghan-Azad and Alser, and in view of the necessity of indicating conditions that are potentially hazardous to persons and/or equipment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2018/0370366 to Suzuki et al. discloses a vehicle system including an insulation test unit configured to perform the insulation test of the electric power supply line, see, e.g., Fig. 3, steps 205-207.
EP3660520A1 to Goede et al. discloses it has to be ensured that that the battery of the electric vehicle is sufficiently isolated from other vehicle structures. In particular, isolation must be ensured between the battery of the electric vehicle and the chassis of the electric vehicle, which serves as a grounding potential for other low voltage electric components; see, e.g., Fig. 4 and paragraphs 72: According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, shown in Fig. 4 , it is possible to determine the leakage path resistance of a DC link 550 which is electrically connected to the electric load of the electric vehicle. In particular, it is possible to determine the leakage path resistance of a DC link 550, when the DC link 550 is not electrically connected to the battery 500. Also see paragraphs 81 and 83.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL R MILLER whose telephone number is (571)270-1964. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lee Rodak, can be reached at 571-270-5628. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL R MILLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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