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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for a Continuation Application of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2023/133714, filed on November 23, 2023, which is based on and claims priority to and benefits of Chinese Patent Application No. 202211493632.7, filed on November 25, 2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
Information Disclosure Statements (IDS) filed on 05/20/2025, and 06/12/2025 were considered.
Claims 1-20 are pending for examination.
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) 1-4, and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by OGUMA et al. (US 20170113560 A1), hereinafter OGUMA.
Regarding claim 1, OGUMA discloses an energy conversion device (Fig. 3), comprising:
a first battery pack (ES-P);
a first inductor (inductor of VCU 101), a first end of the first inductor (left side of the inductor) connected to a positive electrode of the first battery pack (topside of ES-P);
a first bridge arm (101), a midpoint of the first bridge arm (midpoint of two switches of 101) connected to a second end of the first inductor (right side of the inductor), and a first end of the first bridge arm (bottom of 101) connected to a negative electrode of the first battery pack (bottom side of ES-P);
a second battery pack (ES-E), a positive electrode of the second battery pack (topside of ES-E) connected to a second end of the first bridge arm (top of 101), and a negative electrode of the second battery pack (bottom side of ES-E) connected to the first end of the first bridge arm (bottom of 101); and
a controller (ECU 109) connected to the first bridge arm (101), and configured to: control the first bridge arm in a first state to cause the first battery pack and the second battery pack to be charged and discharged alternately to heat the first battery pack and the second battery pack [0035].
Regarding claim 2, OGUMA discloses the energy conversion device according to claim 1 above, OGUMA also discloses the controller is configured to:
in the first state ([0035] “alternate charge/discharge” indicates a charge state and discharge state when warming up the batteries), control the first bridge arm in a first half cycle of a control cycle to cause the first battery pack to be discharged and the second battery pack to be charged ([0035] “alternate charge/discharge” indicates a charge state and discharge state when warming up the batteries); and
control the first bridge arm in a second half cycle of the control cycle to cause the first battery pack to be charged and the second battery pack to be discharged [0035].
Regarding claim 3, OGUMA discloses the energy conversion device according to claim 2 above, OGUMA also discloses the controller is configured to:
in the first state, control an upper switch group of the first bridge arm (top switch of 101) to be off and a lower switch group of the first bridge arm to be on in a first time period of the first half cycle to cause the first battery pack to be discharged and the first inductor to store energy ([0035] “supplying power from one battery to another to thereby warm up the battery” and in order to charge one and another, the voltage control unit 101 is a bidirectional buck/boost, therefore, the converter is operating with PWM alternating on and off between the switches for each half cycle, and the batteries are self warming up due to charge/discharge process each half cycle of the PWM); and
control the upper switch group of the first bridge arm (top switch of 101) to be on and the lower switch group of the first bridge arm to be off in a second time period of the first half cycle to cause the first battery pack to be discharged, the first inductor to release the stored energy, and the second battery pack to be charged ([0035] “supplying power from one battery to another to thereby warm up the battery” and in order to charge one and another, the voltage control unit 101 is a bidirectional buck/boost, therefore, the converter is operating with PWM alternating on and off between the switches for each half cycle, and the batteries are self warming up due to charge/discharge process each half cycle of the PWM).
Regarding claim 4, OGUMA discloses the energy conversion device according to claim 2 above, OGUMA also discloses the controller is configured to:
in the first state, control an upper switch group of the first bridge arm (top switch of 101) to be on and a lower switch group of the first bridge arm to be off in a first time period of the second half cycle to cause the second battery pack to be discharged, the first inductor to store energy, and the first battery pack to be charged ([0035] “supplying power from one battery to another to thereby warm up the battery” and in order to charge one and another, the voltage control unit 101 is a bidirectional buck/boost, therefore, the converter is operating with PWM alternating on and off between the switches for each half cycle, and the batteries are self warming up due to charge/discharge process each half cycle of the PWM); and
control the upper switch group of the first bridge arm to be off and the lower switch group of the first bridge arm to be on in a second time period of the second half cycle to cause the first inductor to release the stored energy and the first battery pack to be charged ([0035] “supplying power from one battery to another to thereby warm up the battery” and in order to charge one and another, the voltage control unit 101 is a bidirectional buck/boost, therefore, the converter is operating with PWM alternating on and off between the switches for each half cycle, and the batteries are self warming up due to charge/discharge process each half cycle of the PWM).
Regarding claim 16, OGUMA discloses a vehicle (Fig. 2), comprising an energy conversion device (Fig. 3), wherein the energy conversion device comprises:
a first battery pack (ES-P);
a first inductor (inductor of VCU 101), a first end of the first inductor (left side of the inductor) connected to a positive electrode of the first battery pack (topside of ES-P);
a first bridge arm (101), a midpoint of the first bridge arm (midpoint of two switches of 101) connected to a second end of the first inductor (right side of the inductor), and a first end of the first bridge arm (bottom of 101) connected to a negative electrode of the first battery pack (bottom side of ES-P);
a second battery pack (ES-E), a positive electrode of the second battery pack (topside of ES-E) connected to a second end of the first bridge arm (top of 101), and a negative electrode of the second battery pack (bottom side of ES-E) connected to the first end of the first bridge arm (bottom of 101); and
a controller (ECU 109) connected to the first bridge arm (101), and configured to: control the first bridge arm in a first state to cause the first battery pack and the second battery pack to be charged and discharged alternately to heat the first battery pack and the second battery pack [0035].
Regarding claim 17, OGUMA discloses the vehicle according to claim 16 above, OGUMA also discloses the controller is configured to:
in the first state ([0035] “alternate charge/discharge” indicates a charge state and discharge state when warming up the batteries), control the first bridge arm in a first half cycle of a control cycle to cause the first battery pack to be discharged and the second battery pack to be charged ([0035] “alternate charge/discharge” indicates a charge state and discharge state when warming up the batteries); and
control the first bridge arm in a second half cycle of the control cycle to cause the first battery pack to be charged and the second battery pack to be discharged [0035].
Regarding claim 18, OGUMA discloses the vehicle according to claim 17 above, OGUMA also discloses the controller is configured to:
in the first state, control an upper switch group of the first bridge arm (top switch of 101) to be off and a lower switch group of the first bridge arm to be on in a first time period of the first half cycle to cause the first battery pack to be discharged and the first inductor to store energy ([0035] “supplying power from one battery to another to thereby warm up the battery” and in order to charge one and another, the voltage control unit 101 is a bidirectional buck/boost, therefore, the converter is operating with PWM alternating on and off between the switches for each half cycle, and the batteries are self warming up due to charge/discharge process each half cycle of the PWM); and
control the upper switch group of the first bridge arm (top switch of 101) to be on and the lower switch group of the first bridge arm to be off in a second time period of the first half cycle to cause the first battery pack to be discharged, the first inductor to release the stored energy, and the second battery pack to be charged ([0035] “supplying power from one battery to another to thereby warm up the battery” and in order to charge one and another, the voltage control unit 101 is a bidirectional buck/boost, therefore, the converter is operating with PWM alternating on and off between the switches for each half cycle, and the batteries are self warming up due to charge/discharge process each half cycle of the PWM).
Regarding claim 19, OGUMA discloses the vehicle according to claim 17 above, OGUMA also discloses the controller is configured to:
in the first state, control an upper switch group of the first bridge arm (top switch of 101) to be on and a lower switch group of the first bridge arm to be off in a first time period of the second half cycle to cause the second battery pack to be discharged, the first inductor to store energy, and the first battery pack to be charged ([0035] “supplying power from one battery to another to thereby warm up the battery” and in order to charge one and another, the voltage control unit 101 is a bidirectional buck/boost, therefore, the converter is operating with PWM alternating on and off between the switches for each half cycle, and the batteries are self warming up due to charge/discharge process each half cycle of the PWM); and
control the upper switch group of the first bridge arm to be off and the lower switch group of the first bridge arm to be on in a second time period of the second half cycle to cause the first 7 inductor to release the stored energy and the first battery pack to be charged ([0035] “supplying power from one battery to another to thereby warm up the battery” and in order to charge one and another, the voltage control unit 101 is a bidirectional buck/boost, therefore, the converter is operating with PWM alternating on and off between the switches for each half cycle, and the batteries are self warming up due to charge/discharge process each half cycle of the PWM).
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) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over OGUMA in view of King et al. (US 20150137751 A1) hereinafter King.
Regarding claim 10, OGUMA discloses the energy conversion device according to claim 1 above, OGUMA discloses the energy conversion device in an Electric Vehicle (EV). OGUMA does not explicitly disclose the EV comprising a DC charging port; and
a switching circuit, a first end of the switching circuit connected to a positive electrode of the DC charging port, and a second end of the switching circuit configured to be connected to the positive electrode of the first battery pack and the positive electrode of the second battery pack.
King discloses an EV comprising a DC charging port (Fig. 3, 100); and
a switching circuit (Fig. 3, 38 and 40), a first end of the switching circuit (Fig. 3, bottom side of 40) connected to a positive electrode of the DC charging port (Fig. 3, 102), and a second end of the switching circuit (Fig. 3, top side of 40) configured to be connected to the positive electrode of the first battery pack (Fig. 3, top side of 58) and the positive electrode of the second battery pack (Fig. 3, topside of 12). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified OGUMA to incorporate the teaching of King and provide a DC charging port; and
a switching circuit, a first end of the switching circuit connected to a positive electrode of the DC charging port, and a second end of the switching circuit configured to be connected to the positive electrode of the first battery pack and the positive electrode of the second battery pack. Doing so would allow to recharge the EV when the batteries are low in charge, since charging an EV is a common knowledge.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over OGUMA in view of Mousavi et al. (US 20220393486 A1) hereinafter Mousavi.
Regarding claim 13, OGUMA discloses the energy conversion device according to claim 1 above, OGUMA does not disclose the first battery pack comprises an energy type battery, the second battery pack comprises a power type battery, and a charging and discharging rate of the power type battery is greater than a charging and discharging rate of the energy type battery. Mousavi discloses an Electric Vehicle having a first battery pack comprises an energy type battery (Fig. 13, 206B), a second battery pack comprises a power type battery (Fig. 13, 206A), and a charging and discharging rate of the power type battery is greater than a charging and discharging rate of the energy type battery [0201]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified OGUMA to incorporate the teaching of Mousavi and provide a first battery pack comprises an energy type battery, a second battery pack comprises a power type battery, and a charging and discharging rate of the power type battery is greater than a charging and discharging rate of the energy type battery. Doing so would optimize power drivetrain of the EV according to power and energy and power capacities since using high energy and high power batteries for optimizing power for EV are common knowledge in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-9, 11-12, 14-15, and 20 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THAI H TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-0668. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 8:30 - 5:00.
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/THAI H TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2836 /REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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