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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 06/29/2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the 202222636478.6 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/30/2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 13 objected to because of the following informalities: "the motor" are not properly introduced. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 13 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.
The limitation of “the motor controller comprises a motor controller corresponding to” is claiming a motor controller comprises itself.
Claim 13 recites the limitations "the motor" and "the motor controller" in wherein the motor comprises a drive motor or an air conditioner compressor, and the motor controller comprises a motor controller corresponding to the drive motor or a motor controller corresponding to the air conditioner compressor.. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5, 7-8, 10-11, 13, 15-16, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhao (US 2024/0208362 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Zhao teaches a battery self-heating circuit (see fig 2, abstract and para 87), comprising a first battery group (see fig 2 battery 241 and para 87, 91), a second battery group (see fig 2 battery 242 and para 87, 91), a first capacitor (see fig 2 capacitor C1 and para 110-111), a second capacitor (see fig 2 capacitor C2 and para 110-111), a plurality of phase bridge arms (see fig 2 bridge arm group 222 and para 96), and a plurality of phase windings (see fig 2 motor 210 and para 95-99) in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of phase bridge arms (see fig 2 element 210 and 222, and para 99), wherein each phase winding is connected to a midpoint of a corresponding bridge arm (see fig 2 element 210 and 222, and para 99);
a negative electrode of the first battery group is connected to a positive electrode of the second battery group (see fig 2 power module 240, and para 91, The negative electrode of the first battery is connected to the positive electrode of the second battery through switch k4), and the negative electrode of the first battery group and the positive electrode of the second battery group are connected to a neutral point of the plurality of phase windings (see fig 2, the negative electrode of the first battery and the positive electrode of the second battery are connected to the neutral point of the windings through switches K4 and switching circuit 2211);
a positive electrode of the first battery group is connected to a first bus end of the plurality of phase bridge arms (see fig 2 and para 94, the positive electrode of the first battery is connected to the positive end of the bridge arm group 222 through switch K2), and a negative electrode of the second battery group is connected to a second bus end of the plurality of phase bridge arms (see fig 2 and para 94, the negative electrode of the second battery is connected to the negative end of the bridge arm group 222); and
a first end of the second capacitor is connected to a second end of the first capacitor (see fig 2, one end “bottom” of the second capacitor C2 is connected to one end “bottom” of the first capacitor C1), the first end of the second capacitor and the second end of the first capacitor are connected to the neutral point of the plurality of phase windings (see fig 2, see fig 2, one end “bottom” of the second capacitor C2 and one end “bottom” of the first capacitor C1 are connected to the neutral point of the phase windings 210 through switching circuit 2212), a second end of the second capacitor is connected to the negative electrode of the second battery group (see fig 2, the other end “top” of the second capacitor C2 is connected to the negative electrode of the second battery 242 through switching elements 2211 and 2212), and a first end of the first capacitor is connected to the positive electrode of the first battery group (see fig 2, the other end “top” of the first capacitor is connected to the first battery 241 through switch K2).
Regarding Claim 2, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a first switch (see fig 2 switches 2212), the first end of the second capacitor and the second end of the first capacitor are connected to the neutral point of the plurality of phase windings through the first switch (see fig 2, see fig 2, one end “bottom” of the second capacitor C2 and one end “bottom” of the first capacitor C1 are connected to the neutral point of the phase windings 210 through switch 2212).
Regarding Claim 4, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a second switch (see fig 2 switch 2211), wherein the negative electrode of the first battery group and the positive electrode of the second battery group are connected to the neutral point of the plurality of phase windings through the second switch (see fig 2 and para 101 and 105, the negative electrode of the first battery 241 and the positive electrode is connected to the phase windings 210 through switch 2211).
Regarding Claim 5, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 2, further comprising a second switch (see fig 2 switch 2211), wherein the negative electrode of the first battery group and the positive electrode of the second battery group are connected to the neutral point of the plurality of phase windings through the second switch (see fig 2 and para 101 and 105, the negative electrode of the first battery 241 and the positive electrode is connected to the phase windings 210 through switch 2211).
Regarding Claim 7, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of phase coils of a motor are reused as the plurality of phase windings, and a plurality of phase bridge arms of a motor controller are reused as the plurality of phase bridge arms (see fig 2 motor 210 and para 99 “M phases of windings of the M-phase motor 210 are connected to upper and lower bridge arm connection points of phases of bridge arm of the M phases of bridge arms on a one-to-one corresponding basis”).
Regarding Claim 8, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of phase coils of a motor are reused as the plurality of phase windings, and a plurality of phase bridge arms of a motor controller are reused as the plurality of phase bridge arms (see fig 2 motor 210 and para 99 “M phases of windings of the M-phase motor 210 are connected to upper and lower bridge arm connection points of phases of bridge arm of the M phases of bridge arms on a one-to-one corresponding basis”).
Regarding Claim 10, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of phase coils of a motor are reused as the plurality of phase windings, and a plurality of phase bridge arms of a motor controller are reused as the plurality of phase bridge arms (see fig 2 motor 210 and para 99 “M phases of windings of the M-phase motor 210 are connected to upper and lower bridge arm connection points of phases of bridge arm of the M phases of bridge arms on a one-to-one corresponding basis”).
Regarding Claim 11, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of phase coils of a motor are reused as the plurality of phase windings, and a plurality of phase bridge arms of a motor controller are reused as the plurality of phase bridge arms (see fig 2 motor 210 and para 99 “M phases of windings of the M-phase motor 210 are connected to upper and lower bridge arm connection points of phases of bridge arm of the M phases of bridge arms on a one-to-one corresponding basis”).
Regarding Claim 13, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 5, wherein the motor comprises a drive motor or an air conditioner compressor, and the motor controller comprises a motor controller corresponding to the drive motor or a motor controller corresponding to the air conditioner compressor (see para 81 “The motor drive system of a new energy vehicle is mainly composed of an electric motor (i.e., a motor), a power converter, a motor controller”).
Regarding Claim 15, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a DC charging port (see fig 2 element 260), wherein the neutral point of the plurality of phase windings is connected to a positive electrode of the DC charging port (see fig 2, the neutral point of the phase windings 210 is connected to the positive electrode of the charging interface 260 through switches 2211 and K1), and the second bus end of the plurality of phase bridge arms is connected to a negative electrode of the DC charging port (see fig 2, the negative bus of the plurality of phase bridge arms 222 is connected to the negative electrode of the charging interface 260 through switch K3), the plurality of phase windings and the plurality of phase bridge arms form a boost circuit (see para 89-91), and the boost circuit is configured to: boost a direct current of the DC charging port, and then charge the first battery group and the second battery group (see para 90).
Regarding Claim 16, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 2, further comprising a DC charging port (see fig 2 element 260), wherein the neutral point of the plurality of phase windings is connected to a positive electrode of the DC charging port (see fig 2, the neutral point of the phase windings 210 is connected to the positive electrode of the charging interface 260 through switches 2211 and K1), and the second bus end of the plurality of phase bridge arms is connected to a negative electrode of the DC charging port (see fig 2, the negative bus of the plurality of phase bridge arms 222 is connected to the negative electrode of the charging interface 260 through switch K3), the plurality of phase windings and the plurality of phase bridge arms form a boost circuit (see para 89-91), and the boost circuit is configured to: boost a direct current of the DC charging port, and then charge the first battery group and the second battery group (see para 90).
Regarding Claim 20, Zhao teaches a vehicle, comprising the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 1 (see fig 1 element 10 and para 81).
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claim(s) 3, 6, 9, 12, 14 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 2024/0208362 A1) in view of Nishihara (US 2021/0024205 A1).
Regarding Claim 3, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim2, but is silent on teaching the first switch is a contactor. Although Zhao teaches the use of a relay which is similar to a contactor (see Zhao para 113).
However, Nishihara teaches a battery system with a contactor to connect and disconnect power from the batteries (see Nishihara fig 1 contactor 102 and para 68)
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Zhao to include the contactor from Nishihara to teach the use of a contactor, which can be designed to handle high currents, to disconnect or connect power from a battery to handle the high currents of an electric vehicle current demands.
Regarding Claim 6, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 3, further comprising a second switch (see fig 2 switch 2211), wherein the negative electrode of the first battery group and the positive electrode of the second battery group are connected to the neutral point of the plurality of phase windings through the second switch (see fig 2 and para 101 and 105, the negative electrode of the first battery 241 and the positive electrode is connected to the phase windings 210 through switch 2211).
Regarding Claim 9, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of phase coils of a motor are reused as the plurality of phase windings, and a plurality of phase bridge arms of a motor controller are reused as the plurality of phase bridge arms (see fig 2 motor 210 and para 99 “M phases of windings of the M-phase motor 210 are connected to upper and lower bridge arm connection points of phases of bridge arm of the M phases of bridge arms on a one-to-one corresponding basis”).
Regarding Claim 12, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of phase coils of a motor are reused as the plurality of phase windings, and a plurality of phase bridge arms of a motor controller are reused as the plurality of phase bridge arms (see fig 2 motor 210 and para 99 “M phases of windings of the M-phase motor 210 are connected to upper and lower bridge arm connection points of phases of bridge arm of the M phases of bridge arms on a one-to-one corresponding basis”).
Regarding Claim 14, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 12, wherein the motor comprises a drive motor or an air conditioner compressor, and the motor controller comprises a motor controller corresponding to the drive motor or a motor controller corresponding to the air conditioner compressor (see para 81 “The motor drive system of a new energy vehicle is mainly composed of an electric motor (i.e., a motor), a power converter, a motor controller”).
Regarding Claim 17, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 3, further comprising a DC charging port (see fig 2 element 260), wherein the neutral point of the plurality of phase windings is connected to a positive electrode of the DC charging port (see fig 2, the neutral point of the phase windings 210 is connected to the positive electrode of the charging interface 260 through switches 2211 and K1), and the second bus end of the plurality of phase bridge arms is connected to a negative electrode of the DC charging port (see fig 2, the negative bus of the plurality of phase bridge arms 222 is connected to the negative electrode of the charging interface 260 through switch K3), the plurality of phase windings and the plurality of phase bridge arms form a boost circuit (see para 89-91), and the boost circuit is configured to: boost a direct current of the DC charging port, and then charge the first battery group and the second battery group (see para 90).
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 2024/0208362 A1) in view of Nishimura (US 2023/0327596 A1).
Regarding Claim 18, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 1, but is silent on a capacitance of the first capacitor is the same as a capacitance of the second capacitor.
However, Nishimura teaches “the first capacitor 32a and the second capacitor 32b which are identical in capacitance with each other” (see fig 9 and para 115)
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Zhao to include the identical capacitance of the capacitors from Nishimura to reduce the number of different components during manufacturing, thus reducing costs.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 2024/0208362 A1) in view of Tian (US 2023/0238891 A1).
Regarding Claim 19, Zhao teaches the battery self-heating circuit according to claim 1, but is silent on teaching the capacitance of the first capacitor and the capacitance of the second capacitor are both less than 10 pF.
However, Tian teaches a power supply apparatus wherein “the power supply apparatus 100 further includes one or more filter capacitors, and the capacity of the filter capacitors in this embodiment of the present application may be less than a preset threshold, for example, may be less than 900 uF, or less than 500 uF, or less than 100 uF” (see Tian para 31)
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Zhao to include the capacitance of the capacitors to reduce the size and cost of the components.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA J SWEET whose telephone number is (571)272-6776. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 - 4:30.
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/JOSHUA JAMES SWEET/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/DANIEL CAVALLARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836