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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the features of “a test station” as recited in claims 15-16 and “a preset station” as recited in claim 17must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) 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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
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 15-17 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 claim 15, before the battery under test arrives at a test station, it is unclear what has been tested? It is also unclear how “a test process corresponding to the method is completed” is defined? Therefore, the wireless test for a battery is not clear. Furthermore, it is unclear what “a test station” comprises of? It is not shown in any of drawings
In claim 16, it is unclear how “a test process corresponding to the method starts to be executed” is defined? Therefore, the wireless test for a battery is not clear.
In claim 17, it is unclear what “a preset station” comprises of . It is not shown in any of drawings.
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 1-3, 8-12 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Loftus et al (Pat# 9,285.430).
As to claim 1, Loftus et al disclose a communication module (107,103) as shown in figure 1, comprising a wireless communication interface (103) and a wired communication interface (107) , wherein the communication module (107,103) is in wireless communication connection to a test terminal (121,113,112,111) through the wireless communication interface (103) , and is configured to receive instruction data sent by the test terminal; the communication module is connected to a battery under test through the wired communication interface (107) , and is configured to send a test instruction corresponding to the instruction data to the battery under test (102), and receive a corresponding battery parameter generated by the battery under test (102) according to the test instruction; and the communication module (107,103) sends test data corresponding to the battery parameter to the test terminal (121,113,112,111) through the wireless communication interface (103), so that the test terminal generates a test result based on the test data. It is noted that Loftus et al do not mention about is configured to receive instruction data sent by the test terminal. However, since the test terminal (121,113,112,111) includes computer (112). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have that the computer (112) (a part of the test terminal (121,113,112,111)) coupled to the BECM (107) ( a part of the communication module (107,103)) for the purpose of providing a test instruction data to the battery under test.
As to claim 2, Loftus et al disclose a communication module as mentioned in claim 1 wherein the battery under test (102) is connected to the wired communication interface (BECM “107”) through a wire harness (124) as shown in figure 2.
As to claim 3, Loftus et al disclose a communication module as mentioned in claim 1 but do not mention about integrating the communication module (107,103) into the battery under test (102). However, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to integrate the communication module (107,103) into the battery under test (102) for the purpose of reducing cost and reducing the electrical noise.
As to claim 8, Loftus et al disclose a communication module as mentioned in claim 1 . It appears that the test instruction comprises at least one of: a battery management system (BMS) master control test instruction, a BNS slave control test instruction.
As to claim 9, Loftus et al disclose a communication module as mentioned in claim 1 having the computer (112) (a part of the test terminal ( 121,113,112,111)) . It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to use this computer (112) for storing test software for the purpose of testing a battery under test (102).
As to claim 10, Loftus et al disclose a communication module as mentioned in claim 1 but does not disclose a plurality of communication modules and the test terminal is configured to wirelessly test a plurality of batteries under test by using the plurality of communication modules. However, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a provide a plurality of communication modules for the purpose of testing a plurality of batteries simultaneously. Furthermore, mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced (see In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960).
As to claim 11, the apparatus as recited in claim 1 perform the method steps as recited in claim 11.
As to claim 12, Loftus et al disclose a communication module as mentioned in claims 1 and 11, wherein the battery under test (102) is connected to the wired communication interface (BECM “107”) through a wire harness (124) as shown in figure 2.
As to claim 18, Loftus et al disclose a communication module as mentioned in claim 11 but do not disclose a plurality of communication modules and each of the communication modules is connected to at least one battery under test. However, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a plurality of communication modules connected to a plurality of batteries under test for the purpose of simultaneously testing a plurality of batteries at the same time. Furthermore, a mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced (see In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960).
As to claim 19, Loftus et al disclose a communication module as mentioned in claim 11 . It appears that the test instruction comprises at least one of: a battery management system (BMS) master control test instruction, a BNS slave control test instruction.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 and 13-14 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.
The prior art does not disclose the communication module comprises a signal conversion module configured to convert a signal type of the instruction data into a signal type suitable for the battery under test, and send, to the battery under test, a test instruction obtained after the conversion as recited in claim 4. Claims 5-7 depend from objected claim 4, they are also objected to.
The prior art does not disclose the communication module comprises a signal conversion module and a first controller; both the signal conversion module and the first controller are communicatively connected to the test terminal; and before the receiving instruction data sent by the test terminal, the method further comprises: receiving, by the first controller, a first channel switching instruction sent by the test terminal, and controlling, according to the first channel switching instruction, the signal conversion module to perform a controller area network (CAN) channel switching as recited in claim 13 and in combined with method steps as recited in claim 11.
The prior art does not disclose the communication module comprises a signal conversion module and a second controller; the signal conversion module is communicatively connected to the test terminal; and before the receiving instruction data sent by the test terminal, the method further comprises: receiving, by the signal conversion module, a second channel switching instruction sent by the test terminal, and forwarding the second channel switching instruction to the second controller, wherein the second controller controls, according to the second channel switching instruction, the signal conversion module to perform a controller area network (CAN) channel switching as recited in claim 14 in combined with method steps as recited in claim 11.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Campbell et al (Pat# 9,581,654) disclose Vehicle Battery Monitoring System.
Rich et al (Pat# 8,829,911) disclose Diagnostic Use Of A Plurality Of Electrical Battery Parameters.
Sood et al (Pat# 10,014,561) disclose Systems, Methods, And Devices For Health Monitoring Of An Energy Storage Device.
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/VINH P NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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