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 .
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 1 – 16 and 20 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.
As to claims 1, 12 and 20, applicant is claiming determining a central tendency. However, it is unclear what is meant to be encompassed by the phrase “a central tendency”?
Claims 2 - 11 are rejected by virtue of their dependency on claim 1.
Claims 13 - 16 are rejected by virtue of their dependency on claim 12.
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.
Claim(s) 17 - 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KITAGAWA et al. (2021/0028637).
As to claim 17, KITAGAWA et al. (hereinafter KITAGAWA) discloses battery monitoring apparatus (50, Fig. 2) to adjust for an alternating current (AC) signal of an electrochemical cell in an energy storage system (S501, Fig.19), the EIS measurement system comprising: a current measurement device (56, 56b, 56c, Fig. 2), arranged for measuring a current through the electrochemical cell ([0062]); a voltage measurement device (52,57, Fig. 2), arranged to be coupled across the electrochemical cell ([0053],[0056]), for measuring a voltage across the electrochemical cell; and processing circuitry (53, Fig. 2), coupled to the current measurement device (56, 56b, 56c, Fig. 2) and the voltage measurement device (Fig. 2) and configured to ([0290],Fig.19): perform an EIS current measurement at a specified EIS frequency (S501, Fig. 19) to produce an EIS current (S503, Fig. 19); compare the EIS current to an expected current value (S504, Fig.19); and discard the EIS current measurement in response to the comparison showing a difference above a specified current threshold (S504, S505, Fig.19, looping back to measuring again in case of larger deviation and low number of times, [0291]-[0297]).
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As to claim 18, KITAGAWA discloses that the processing circuitry (53, Fig. 2) is configured to: perform an EIS voltage measurement at the specified EIS frequency to produce an EIS voltage; compare the EIS voltage to an expected current value; and discard the EIS voltage measurement in response to the comparison showing a difference above a specified voltage threshold (S504-S506, Fig.19).
As to claim 19, KITAGAWA discloses that the processing circuitry (53, Fig. 2) is configured to: determine an EIS impedance at the specified EIS frequency using the EIS current and the EIS voltage in response to the EIS current and the EIS voltage being retained (S511, Fig.19).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 - 16 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claim 20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Prior Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant s disclosure.
Gannamaneni et al. (20240239239) is cited for its disclosure of a battery system for a vehicle, a vehicle including a battery system, a method for evaluating an impedance of a battery system and a computer program element. The battery system includes a first battery pack and an evaluation unit for evaluating an impedance of the first battery pack. The evaluation unit includes a current injection circuit, which has a first DC/DC converter and is arranged in the battery system and/or adjacent to the first battery pack, and a measuring circuit.
SHOA HASSANI LASHIDANI et al. (20230122362) is cited for its disclosure of an apparatus and methods for testing electrochemical systems.
BALLANTINE et al. (20190317151) is cited for its disclosure of an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyzer battery performance database.
Kozlowski (6307378) is cited for its disclosure of a method and apparatus for measurement of electrochemical cell and battery impedances.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REENA AURORA whose telephone number is (571)272-2263. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8:00AM-5:00PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lee Rodak can be reached at 5712705628. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/REENA AURORA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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