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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-5 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 7-8 recites “through a second low-voltage line.” Is inadvertently repeated, "through a second low-voltage line. through a second low-voltage line." should be "through a second low-voltage line.". Appropriate correction is required.
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chan et al. (US 2018/0048182 A1) in view of Bolduc (US 2015/0130471 A1), and further in view of Ock et al. (US 2019/0258213 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chan teaches a vehicle drive source device comprising: a battery capable of supplying power through a high-voltage line [see Figs. 1-2; para. 0020-0022, Chan applies the distributed battery management system to a battery system of a pure electric vehicle, wherein a plurality of battery packs are connected in series in a high-voltage power circuit]; a battery monitoring section [slave module 20 of the battery management system] connected to the battery and high-voltage line [see Figs. 1-2; para. 0005-0006, 0021-0022, each slave module manages a corresponding battery pack and slave module 20 has a communication cable connected to the high-voltage power circuit via PLC modem 40]; wherein the battery monitoring section is driven by a low-voltage power supply as a power source [see Fig. 2; para. 0008, 0022, “The DC/DC converter 30 converts a high-voltage direct current of the battery pack into a low-voltage direct current and supplies it to the slave module 20 so as to realize power supply of the slave module 20”]; and a battery case that houses each of the battery and the battery monitoring section and is connected to a vehicle ground [see Fig. 2; para. 0010-0012, 0022, “each slave module 20 is provided in a same battery case as its corresponding battery pack” and “The housing of the battery case is connected to ground of the entire pure electric vehicle”].
However, Chan does not expressly teach the battery capable of supplying power to a driving motor of a vehicle through the high-voltage line, or the battery monitoring section including an integrated circuit connected to the high-voltage line and detecting a voltage of the battery between terminals.
Bolduc teaches an electric vehicle system including a battery pack supplying power through positive and negative high-voltage buses to a driving motor [see Fig. 1; para. 0013-0014, battery pack 11 is coupled between positive bus 20 and negative bus 21, and vehicle load 22, such as “a DC-to-AC inverter for driving an electric motor machine,” receives DC power from buses 20 and 21]. Bolduc further teaches a battery monitoring section including battery monitoring integrated circuits 12-14 connected to respective battery cells through cell monitoring inputs 16, wherein the battery monitoring ICs are referenced to the negative battery bus and communicate across the high-voltage/low-voltage domain boundary [see Fig. 1; para. 0007, 0013]. Bolduc further teaches detecting a voltage of the battery between terminals using battery monitoring IC 66 [see Fig. 3; para. 0022-0026, battery pack 60 provides a main battery voltage between positive bus 61 and negative bus 62; evaluation switch 75 and voltage-divider resistors 76 and 77 provide a divided representation of the battery voltage to auxiliary A/D input 81 of battery monitoring IC 66, from which the battery-pack voltage is determined].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the electric-vehicle battery-management system of Chan to include the electric-motor drive and battery-monitoring integrated-circuit arrangement taught by Bolduc, such that the high-voltage battery supplies power to the vehicle driving motor and the battery-monitoring integrated circuit detects the battery voltage, because both references concern monitoring and management of high-voltage batteries in electric vehicles and the modification would have amounted to the predictable use of Bolduc's known battery-monitoring technique in Chan's known electric-vehicle battery-management system, in order to monitor the traction-battery voltage while the battery supplies propulsion power, thereby maximizing efficiency and performance and detecting potential malfunctions. Bolduc expressly teaches that the battery and other electric-drive elements require monitoring for these purposes.
Combination of Chan and Bolduc does not expressly teach a connector that is connected to the vehicle ground through a ground harness, wherein the integrated circuit is connected to the connector through connection wiring.
Ock teaches a battery management system (BMS) 30 mounted on circuit board 20 of a vehicle battery pack, wherein various wirings are printed on circuit board 20 as current paths and connector terminal 50 may be connected to BMS 30 [see Fig. 1; para. 0047-0051]. Ock further teaches that connector terminal 50 includes a ground pin serving as a ground terminal and that “the ground pin may be connected to the vehicle chassis 1 via an AUX line or the like” [see Figs. 1-2; para. 0052-0056]. The AUX line extending between the ground pin of connector terminal 50 and vehicle chassis 1 corresponds to the claimed ground harness connecting the connector to vehicle ground. Thus, Ock teaches a connector associated with battery-management circuitry and connected to vehicle ground through a ground line.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to further modify the battery monitoring section of Chan as modified by Bolduc to include Ock's connector, connection-wiring, and AUX-line grounding arrangement, such that Bolduc's battery-monitoring integrated circuit is connected to the connector through connection wiring and the connector is connected to vehicle ground through the AUX line, corresponding to the claimed ground harness, in order to provide a connector-based ground path for the battery-monitoring circuitry, thereby facilitating discharge of electrical noise to the vehicle chassis and reducing ground impedance. Ock teaches that noise generated by a circuit board equipped with a BMS should be discharged outside and that when the BMS ground is connected to chassis ground for noise emission, ground impedance should be minimized.
Regarding claim 2, Chan, Bolduc and Ock teaches invention set forth above, Ock further teaches that connector terminal 50 may be connected to BMS 30 and includes a ground pin serving as a ground terminal, wherein the ground pin may be connected to vehicle chassis 1 through an AUX line [see Figs. 1-2; para. 0051, 0056]. The AUX line extending between the ground pin of connector terminal 50 and vehicle chassis 1 corresponds to the claimed ground harness connecting the ground terminal to vehicle ground.
Chan further teaches a battery-management system employing low-voltage power-supply and communication harnesses between slave modules [see para. 0004], and identifies low-voltage connectors in that battery-management context.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to implement Ock’s connector terminal and ground-terminal arrangement in Chan’s low-voltage harness environment as a low-voltage connector, such that the ground terminal of the low-voltage connector is connected to vehicle ground through the ground harness and Bolduc’s battery-monitoring integrated circuit is connected to the ground terminal through the connection wiring, in order to provide a low-voltage connection and chassis-ground path for the battery-management circuitry, thereby facilitating reliable low-voltage operation and discharge of electrical noise to vehicle ground. Ock teaches that minimizing impedance between the BMS ground and chassis ground improves noise-removal performance.
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chan et al. (US 2018/0048182 A1) in view of Bolduc (US 2015/0130471 A1), further in view of Ock et al. (US 2019/0258213 A1), and further in view of Ock (US 2021/0036383 A1).
Regarding claim 3, combination of Chan, Bolduc and Ock ’213 teaches invention set forth above, combination does not expressly teach the low-voltage connector is connected to the low-voltage power supply.
Ock ’6383 teaches a battery pack including battery control unit 200 and pack connector 400 connected to battery control unit 200 through control cable 210 [see para. 0062]. Ock ’6383 further teaches that pack connector 400 may serve as a passage for allowing driving power to flow from an external device to drive battery control unit 200, such that pack connector 400 may transmit driving power or a communication signal to battery control unit 200 [see para. 0063]. Ock ’6383 further teaches that filtering member 410 provides an electric path between connection port 430 and control cable 210 through which a signal or power may flow [see para. 0068], and that power entering through connection port 430 passes through the filtering member and control cable toward battery control unit 200 [see para. 0072-0074].
Chan teaches that each battery pack converts high-voltage DC to low-voltage DC through DC/DC converter 30 and outputs the low voltage to the corresponding slave module, and further teaches low-voltage power-supply harnesses and identifies low-voltage connectors in the battery-management context.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to further modify the battery-monitoring arrangement of Chan as modified by Bolduc and Ock ’213 to incorporate the power-carrying connector arrangement taught by Ock ’6383, such that the low-voltage connector is connected to Chan’s low-voltage power supply and provides operating power to the battery-monitoring circuitry through the connector, in order to provide a known connector-based power path for supplying operating power to battery-control circuitry while also permitting communication with external vehicle circuitry. Ock ’6383 expressly teaches using pack connector 400 as a passage for supplying driving power to battery control unit 200.
Regarding claim 4, combination of Chan, Ock ’213 and Ock ’6383 teaches invention set forth above, Ock ’6383 further teaches a pack connector having at least a portion, including its connection port, exposed at an exterior of the pack case. In particular, Ock ’6383 teaches that pack case 300 may be configured such that at least a portion of pack connector 400 is exposed so that a connecting terminal of a device outside the battery pack may be connected thereto [see para. 0061]. Ock ’6383 further teaches that pack connector 400 may be located at an upper portion of the battery pack and that connection port 430 of pack connector 400 is exposed to the outside at one side of upper case 301 [see Figs. 1-2; para. 0066]. Ock ’6383 additionally distinguishes connection port 430 at the outer side from control cable 210 at the inner side toward battery control unit 200 [see para. 0074, 0116].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to position the low-voltage connector of Chan as modified by Bolduc, Ock ’213, and Ock ’6383 outside the battery case, as suggested by Ock ’6383’s exteriorly exposed connector arrangement, in order to permit convenient connection of the battery-monitoring circuitry to an external vehicle device while retaining the battery control unit within the protected interior of the battery case. Ock ’6383 expressly teaches exposing the pack connector/connection port at the exterior of the pack case for connection with an external device.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chan et al. (US 2018/0048182 A1) in view of Bolduc (US 2015/0130471 A1), further in view of Ock et al. (US 2019/0258213 A1), and further in view of Sekizaki et al. (2016/0164318 A1).
Regarding claim 5, combination of Chan, Bolduc and Ock teaches invention set forth above, combination does not expressly teach the battery monitoring section includes a second low-voltage connector including a second ground terminal, the integrated circuit is connected to the second ground terminal through the connection wiring, and the second ground terminal is connected to the ground terminal through a second low-voltage line. Claim 5 expressly requires this additional second-connector/ground-terminal arrangement.
Sekizaki teaches a battery monitoring unit 1 including control IC 10, first ground terminal 41, and second ground terminal 42 for connecting the battery monitoring unit to external ground GND1 [see Fig. 2; para. 0019]. Sekizaki teaches that first ground terminal 41 and second ground terminal 42 are connected to the same external ground GND1. Sekizaki further teaches that control IC 10 and CPU 20 are connected to unit internal ground GND2 [see para. 0020], that load circuit 30 is connected to a separate power ground P-GND [see para. 0021], and that power ground P-GND and unit internal ground GND2 are connected through diode 50 [see para. 0022].
Sekizaki further teaches that unit internal ground GND2 is connected to external ground GND1 through electric wiring extending from first ground terminal 41, while power ground P-GND is connected to the same external ground GND1 through electric wiring extending from second ground terminal 42 [see Fig. 2; para. 0023]. Thus, Sekizaki teaches a battery-monitoring unit having first and second ground terminals, separate ground paths extending from the respective terminals to a common external ground, and diode-coupled internal grounds.
Ock teaches, in a battery-management context, connector terminal 50 that may be connected to BMS 30 and includes a ground pin serving as a ground terminal, wherein the ground pin may be connected to vehicle chassis 1 through an AUX line [see para. 0051-0056].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to further modify the low-voltage connector arrangement of Chan as modified by Bolduc and Ock in view of Sekizaki’s two-ground-terminal arrangement by providing a second low-voltage connector including a second ground terminal, connecting the second ground terminal to the ground terminal of the first low-voltage connector through a second low-voltage line, and connecting the battery-monitoring integrated circuit to the second ground terminal through corresponding connection wiring, in order to provide an additional grounding path for the battery-monitoring circuitry and maintain operation of the battery monitoring unit if one grounding path becomes disconnected. Sekizaki teaches that when a disconnection occurs in the wiring extending from first ground terminal 41, unit internal ground GND2 remains electrically referenced through diode 50 and power ground P-GND, thereby allowing control IC 10 and CPU 20 to continue operating and permitting the battery monitoring unit to monitor the disconnection without losing functions, including communication functions [see para. 0024-0025].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Aqeel H Bukhari whose telephone number is (571)272-4382. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (9am to 5pm).
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/AQEEL H BUKHARI/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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