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 .
Status of Claims
This Office Action is in response to the amendment filed on July 10, 2026. Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 10 and 17 are independent.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ amendments and arguments have been fully considered. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made.
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 1-6, 10-13, 15-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Publication No. 20200103467 to Lee et al. (hereinafter “Lee”).
Claims 1-6, 10-13, 15-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee.
With respect to independent claims 1, 10 and 17, Lee discloses providing, by a controller, a power supply to the EV battery (see paragraph [0044]: the apparatus 400 may refer to various devices mounted with the battery pack 200. For example, the apparatus 400 may be a vehicle mounted with the battery pack 200 as illustrated and may be any one of an electric vehicle, a cart, an electric bicycle, an electric scooter, and a two-wheeled vehicle.);
transmitting, by the controller, a discrete signal to the EV battery (see abstract: a controller generating a wake-up signal based on a user input to a third switch and transmitting the generated wake-up signal to the battery pack);
receiving, by the controller, a signal from the EV battery in response to the providing the power supply to the EV battery and to transmitting the discrete signal to the EV battery (see paragraph [0078]: The controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may establish a communication connection according to the first communication method with the battery pack 200 turned on based on the wake-up signal (operation S53). In the present disclosure, “establishing a communication connection” between two devices may mean assigning identification information to both devices on a network and recognizing the devices mutually.); and
transmitting, by the controller, a communication signal to the EV battery (see paragraph [0092]: The controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may transmit the received detailed information request signal to the battery pack 200 through the first connection terminal 130 (operation S67). Upon receiving the detailed information request signal, the battery pack 200 may transmit the detailed information to the battery pack diagnosing device 100.).
With respect to dependent claims 2 and 11, Lee discloses receiving, by the controller, data from the EV battery (see paragraph [0034]: receiving state information of the battery pack through the established communication connection.).
With respect to dependent claims 3, 15 and 20, Lee discloses determining, by the controller, a power output of the EV battery (see paragraph [0096]: connection information of the battery pack 200, identification information of the battery pack 200, the voltage of the battery pack 200, the number of warning messages of the battery pack 200, and/or the like may be displayed in the region 611 in which the basic information is displayed.).
With respect to dependent claim 4, Lee discloses receiving, by the controller, a status of the EV battery (see paragraph [0047]: the data may include state information of the battery pack 200 and a control signal of the battery pack 200.).
With respect to dependent claims 5 and 12, Lee discloses controlling, by the controller, the EV battery (see paragraph [0018]: the controller, when the received signal is the control signal of the battery pack, may transmit the control signal to the battery pack through the first connection terminal.).
With respect to dependent claim 6, Lee discloses wherein the transmitting, by the controller, the discrete signal to the EV battery comprises sending two or more discrete signals to the EV battery (see paragraph [0071]: the battery pack diagnosing device 100 may include a first connection terminal 130 electrically connected to at least one of the battery pack 200 and the apparatus 400 equipped with the battery pack 200, a first switch 160 for changing a communication mode with another device connected to the first connection terminal 130 based on a user input, a second switch 170 for applying power to the battery pack diagnosing device 100 based on a user input, a second connection terminal 140 connected to an external power supply for supplying power to the battery pack diagnosing device 100, a third switch 180 for acquiring a user input for transmitting a wake-up signal to the battery pack 200 connected to the battery pack diagnosing device 100, a display unit 190 for displaying various information, and other switches 191.).
With respect to dependent claim 13, Lee discloses an enabler battery, the enabler battery is electrically connected to the controller and configured to provide power to the controller (see paragraph [0017]: The controller may receive at least one of a control signal of the battery pack and a detailed information request signal of the battery pack from the user terminal through the communication unit.).
With respect to dependent claim 16, Lee discloses wherein the controller is further configured to receive a status of the EV battery (see paragraph [0011]: receiving of the state information may include receiving a signal by which the battery pack broadcasts the state information.).
With respect to dependent claim 18, Lee discloses wherein the first discrete signal is configured to power a battery management system of the EV battery and the second discrete signal is configured to power one or more contactors of the EV battery (see paragraphs [0071] and [0081]: the battery pack diagnosing device 100 may include a first connection terminal 130 electrically connected to at least one of the battery pack 200 and the apparatus 400 equipped with the battery pack 200, a first switch 160 for changing a communication mode with another device connected to the first connection terminal 130 based on a user input, a second switch 170 for applying power to the battery pack diagnosing device 100 based on a user input, a second connection terminal 140 connected to an external power supply for supplying power to the battery pack diagnosing device 100, a third switch 180 for acquiring a user input for transmitting a wake-up signal to the battery pack 200 connected to the battery pack diagnosing device 100, a display unit 190 for displaying various information, and other switches 191. The state information of the battery pack 200 may include state information of a battery management system (BMS) in the battery pack 200.).
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.
Claims 7-9 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 20210143648 to Yeom et al. (hereinafter “Yeom”).
With respect to dependent claims 7 and 19, Lee does not explicitly teach receiving, by the controller, data from the EV battery in response to the transmitting the communication signal to the EV battery.
Yeom teaches the system controller is configured to be woken up and to transmit a command for allocating a first identifier (ID) corresponding to the first station to the first battery controller having a default ID via the CAN bus. (See paragraph [0009]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the CAN command and response of Yeom for implementing a first communication of Lee to safely establish and manage communication between a controller and a battery pack management system.
With respect to dependent claim 8, Lee does not explicitly teach wherein the communication signal is a CAN bus signal.
Yeom teaches a battery system include a system controller connected to a controller area network (CAN) bus (See paragraph [0009]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the CAN command and response of Yeom for implementing a first communication of Lee to safely establish and manage communication between a controller and a battery pack management system.
With respect to dependent claim 9, Lee does not explicitly teach wherein the providing the power supply to the EV battery comprises sending power from an enabler battery electrically connected to the controller to the EV battery.
Yeom teaches the station 200 may be a device for interfacing the electric device 100 and the battery packs 300. The station 200 may electrically connect power terminals of the electric device 100 to power terminals of the battery packs 300. FIG. 1 illustrates a pair of wires for transmitting power between the stations 200 and the battery packs 300. (See paragraph [0049]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the system controller of Yeom with the diagnostic device’s controller to be powered independently of the battery pack it is diagnosing of Lee to provide independent and self-contained power source for the controller to perform the wake-up function and communication function.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 20210119549 to Wang et al. (hereinafter “Wang”).
With respect to dependent claim 14, Lee does not explicitly teach the controller is connected to the main power connector of the EV battery by a high voltage interface, wherein the high voltage interface converts the power from a high voltage to a lower voltage.
Wang teaches converting, by the conversion unit, a low-voltage power signal detected at the low-voltage input port into a high-voltage wake-up signal, and receiving, by the high-voltage control module, a working voltage provided by the power battery pack under control of the high-voltage wake-up signal; controlling, by the high-voltage control module, the high-voltage transmission module to be turned on, providing the working voltage to the synchronous rectifying module by the turned-on high-voltage transmission module, and converting high-voltage electric energy provided by the power battery pack into low-voltage electric energy; and transmitting, under control of the synchronous rectifying module, the low-voltage electric energy to the low-voltage controller, and waking up the battery management system by the low-voltage controller (See paragraph [0007] – [0009]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine the voltage conversion interface between the controller and the EV battery’s power connector of Wang with wake-up and communication control of Lee to provide safely isolate low-voltage operation of the controller while connected to a high voltage power connector.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEMETRA R SMITH-STEWART whose telephone number is (571)270-3965. The examiner can normally be reached 10am - 6pm.
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/DEMETRA R SMITH-STEWART/Examiner, Art Unit 3661
/PETER D NOLAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661
