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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 and 10-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. (US 2021/0323442) in view of Lutz et al. (US 5,834,131) and further in view of Krabbenborg et al. (US 20220077833)
Re Claim 1; Wu discloses an energy storage system comprising:
a positive direct current bus (The positive terminal of the battery, Fig. 1);
a negative direct current bus; (The negative terminal of the battery, Fig. 1);
a battery pack (Battery pack, Fig. 1 and also see par 0031),
a heating film, (heating plate Par 0039)
a first switching transistor (IGBT/MOSFET) connected in series with the heating plate (¶[0037]);
a current detection circuit configured to detect a current flowing through the first switching transistor; and “the current acquisition module comprises a Hall sensor … the Hall sensor transmits the collected current signal … divided into a high-range channel and a low-range channel” (¶[0038]). → This reads directly on “a current detection circuit configured to detect a current flowing through the first switching transistor” because Wu’s Hall sensor detects current in the heating circuit and reports it to the controller.
“the heating control module receives the current value fed back by the current acquisition module and adjusts the PWM signal to make the actual current reach a set value to implement a closed-loop control” (¶[0044]). → This reinforces the claimed current detection circuit because Wu teaches that the controller uses the sensed current to regulate operation of the switching transistor.
; and
a controller; (heating control module, ¶[0032]-[0038]);
and
a first drive circuit, wherein the heating film is configured to heat the electrochemical cell,
the first drive circuit is configured to output a pulse signal, to drive the first switching transistor to be turned on and turned off. (PWM generation module, Fig. 4, ¶[0032]) to drive the switching transistor on/off;
Wu fails to explicitly disclose:
the heating film and the first switching transistor are connected in series, and connected between the positive direct current bus and the negative direct current bus and wherein the current detection circuit comprises a first resistor and an operational amplifier
Lutz discloses a self-warming tactical battery comprising: electrochemical cells (alkaline manganese dioxide cells, col. 4, lines 5-65);
heating resistors disposed adjacent to the cells (col. 5, lines 10-30);
a controller and switches to drive current through the resistors (Fig. 2);
the heating resistors connected between the positive and negative battery terminals (equivalent to DC buses).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine Wu with Lutz to adapt Wu’s heating film system for broader energy storage applications by connecting heating elements directly across DC buses as taught by Lutz. This combination reduces component count, improves heating efficiency, and aligns with industry practices of integrating heating films directly into energy storage bus structures.
The combination does not disclose wherein the current detection circuit comprises a first resistor and an operational amplifier
However, Krabbenborg discloses wherein the current detection circuit comprises a first resistor and an operational amplifier. (Claim 10).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have used the current sensor disclose by Krabbenborg with the sensor used by Wu since they are functional equivalent.
Re Claim 2; Wu discloses further comprising:
an isolating circuit (Current adjustment module 4) that comprises an isolating switch (IGBT), and the current detection circuit (Current acquisition module 5), the isolating switch, the heating film (heating control module), and the first switching transistor are connected in series, and then connected in parallel between the positive direct current bus and the negative direct current bus. (Fig. 1 and 2)
Re Claim 8; Wu discloses a heating control method for a battery pack, further comprising:
when a voltage between a positive direct current bus and a negative direct current bus is greater than a voltage threshold, reducing a duty cycle of a first switching transistor, to reduce operating power of a heating film, (Par 0044)
wherein the first switching transistor and the heating film are connected in series, and then connected in parallel between the positive direct current bus and the negative direct current bus, (Fig. 1 and 2) and the heating film is configured to heat the battery pack; or
when the voltage between the positive direct current bus and the negative direct current bus is less than or equal to the voltage threshold, increasing a duty cycle of a first switching transistor, to increase operating power of a heating film. (Par 0044)
Wu does not disclose an electrochemical cell
Wu fails to explicitly disclose:
the heating film and the first switching transistor are connected in series, and connected between the positive direct current bus and the negative direct current bus
Lutz discloses a self-warming tactical battery comprising: electrochemical cells (alkaline manganese dioxide cells, col. 4, lines 5-65);
heating resistors disposed adjacent to the cells (col. 5, lines 10-30);
a controller and switches to drive current through the resistors (Fig. 2);
the heating resistors connected between the positive and negative battery terminals (equivalent to DC buses).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine Wu with Lutz to adapt Wu’s heating film system for broader energy storage applications by connecting heating elements directly across DC buses as taught by Lutz. This combination reduces component count, improves heating efficiency, and aligns with industry practices of integrating heating films directly into energy storage bus structures.
The combination does not disclose wherein the current detection circuit comprises a first resistor and an operational amplifier
However, Krabbenborg discloses wherein the current detection circuit comprises a first resistor and an operational amplifier. (Claim 10).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have used the current sensor disclose by Krabbenborg with the sensor used by Wu since they are functional equivalent.
Re Claim 9; Wu discloses wherein before the heating film operates, further comprising: turning on an isolating switch, and after a current flowing through the first switching transistor is not zero, turning off the isolating switch, wherein the isolating switch is connected in series to the first switching transistor. (Par 0044)
Re Claim 18; Wu discloses wherein before the heating film operates, further comprising: turning on an isolating switch; and, after a current flowing through the first switching transistor is zero, turning on the first switching transistor. (Par 0044)
Claim(s) 13-17, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. (US 2021/0323442) in view of Lutz et al. (US 5,834,131) and further in view of Krabbenborg and Hall et al. (US 20230387684)
Re Claim 13; Wu in view of Lutz has been discussed above.
Wu does not disclose
A photovoltaic energy storage system, wherein the photovoltaic energy storage system comprises a power converter and the energy storage system according to claim 1.
However, Hall discloses a photovoltaic energy storage system, wherein the photovoltaic energy storage system comprises a power converter and the energy storage system according to claim 1. (Fig. 1)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have added a PV system to the battery of Wu in order to provide a renewable means to charging the battery to minimize the cost of fueling the vehicle disclose in Wu
Re Claim 14; Wu disclose wherein the controller is further configured to: after a voltage between the positive direct current bus and the negative direct current bus is greater than a voltage threshold, reduce a duty cycle of the pulse signal to reduce operating power of the heating film. (Par 0044)
Re Claim 15; Wu discloses wherein the controller is further configured to: after a voltage between the positive direct current bus and the negative direct current bus is less than or equal to a voltage threshold, increase a duty cycle of the pulse signal to increase operating power of the heating film. (Par 0044)
Re Claim 16; Wu discloses wherein, before the heating film operates, the controller is further configured to: turn on the isolating switch, and after the current flowing through the first switching transistor is not zero, turn off the isolating switch. (Par 0044)
Re Claim 17; Wu discloses wherein, before the heating film operates, the controller is further configured to: turn on the isolating switch, and after the current flowing through the first switching transistor is zero, turn on the first switching transistor. (Par 0044)
Re Claim 19; Hall discloses wherein the power converter is configured to: convert a direct current from the energy storage system into an alternating current, and send the alternating current to a power grid. (Fig. 1)
Re Claim 20; Hall discloses wherein the power converter is configured to: convert an alternating current from a power grid into a direct current to charge the energy storage system. (Fig. 1)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 2, filed 01/29/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-20 under 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Krabbenborg.
Conclusion
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 DANIEL KESSIE whose telephone number is (571)272-4449. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pmEst.
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/DANIEL KESSIE/
04/07/2026
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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