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.
Claim 12 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.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the battery management module" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 3-9, 11-13, 15, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by the Liu reference (CN 116365635 A).
7. Regarding claim 1, the Liu reference discloses:
a control circuit (FIG. 1), configured to control connection or disconnection of a target loop after being connected to the target loop (intended use), comprising:
a current detection unit (110), wherein the current detection unit (110) is configured to:
when being connected to a battery [Contents of the invention—power battery pack], output a first type signal when detecting that the battery has an overcurrent or a short circuit (120); and
a driver circuit (140), wherein an input terminal of the driver circuit (140) is connected to a signal output terminal of the current detection unit (110) (FIG. 1), an output terminal of the driver circuit (140) is configured to connect to a safety module (130) in the target loop (FIG. 1), and the driver circuit (140) is configured to output, in response to receiving the first type signal transmitted from the current detection unit (110), a drive signal to drive the safety module (130) to be disconnected ,
wherein the target loop is a loop in the battery or a loop in a device in which the battery is located [Detailed Ways Paragraph 0004].
8. Regarding claim 3, the Liu reference further discloses:
a supplementary driver circuit (131), wherein an input terminal of the supplementary driver circuit is connected to the signal output terminal of the current detection unit (operatively), an output terminal of the supplementary driver circuit is configured to connect to a switch component [Paragraph 0017—switching tube elements] in the target loop (operatively), and the supplementary driver circuit is configured to drive, in response to receiving the first type signal, the switch component to be disconnected (implicit).
9. Regarding claim 4, the Liu reference further discloses:
wherein: the switch component [Paragraph 0017—switching tube elements] and the safety module (130) are disposed on the same target loop (one is part of the other so it must), wherein the target loop comprises a power supply loop of the battery (FIG. 2) or a high-voltage loop of the device in which the battery is located; or
the switch component and the safety module are respectively disposed on different target loops, wherein the safety module is disposed on a first target loop, the switch component is disposed on a second target loop, the first target loop comprises the power supply loop of the
battery, and the second target loop comprises the high-voltage loop of the device in which the
battery is located; or the first target loop comprises the high-voltage loop of the device in which
the battery is located, and the second target loop comprises the power supply loop of the battery.
10. Regarding claim 5, the Liu reference further discloses:
wherein the switch component comprises a relay (130) (one and the same), two path terminals of the relay are separately connected to the target loop to cooperate with other components on the target loop to form the complete target loop [Paragraph 0015], a control terminal of the relay [Paragraph 0015—control module (140)] is connected to the output terminal of the supplementary driver circuit [Paragraph 0015], the control circuit (FIG. 1) further comprises a delay circuit (121), and the delay circuit is disposed between the current detection unit (110) and the supplementary driver circuit (131), wherein by means of the delay circuit (121), a time at which the first type signal generated by the current detection unit (110) arrives at the driver circuit (140) is earlier than a time at which the first type signal arrives at the supplementary driver circuit (FIG. 2—direct connection versus having to go through (140).
11. Regarding claim 6, the Liu reference further discloses:
wherein another input terminal of the current detection unit (110) is configured to connect to a battery management module (111), and the current detection unit (110) is configured to send a fourth type signal (to 140) when receiving a third type signal sent by the battery management module (111) (indicating current), wherein the driver circuit (140) is further configured to output, in response to receiving the fourth type signal, a drive signal to drive the safety module (130) to be disconnected (FIG. 2).
12. Regarding claim 7, the Liu reference further discloses:
a logic component (FIG. 8), an input terminal of the logic component is connected to the signal output terminal of the current detection unit (110) (via 140), an output terminal of the logic component (810) is connected to the driver circuit (140—integrated in), and the logic component is turned on when a signal output by the current detection unit (110) is the first type signal (110).
13. Regarding claim 8, the Liu reference further discloses:
an energy storage component (battery), wherein one terminal of the energy storage component charges the energy storage component when being connected to a power input apparatus (implicit), and the other terminal of the energy storage component is connected to the driver circuit (140) and supplies power to the driver circuit (FIG. 1).
14. Regarding claim 9, the Liu reference further discloses:
wherein an input terminal of the current detection unit (110) is connected to a shunt (111) in the battery, so that the current detection unit detects a current flowing through the shunt to determine whether the battery has an overcurrent or a short circuit [Paragraph 0008].
15. Regarding claim 11, the Liu reference further discloses:
wherein the output terminal of the driver circuit (140) is further configured to connect to a relay (130) in the target loop (FIG. 2).
16. Regarding claim 12, the Lui reference further discloses:
wherein the input terminal of the driver circuit (140) is configured to connect to the battery management module (111) (FIG. 2), the battery management module (111) is configured to input a fifth type signal to the driver circuit (140), and the driver circuit (140)
outputs, when receiving the fifth type signal, a drive signal to drive the safety module (130) to be disconnected.
17. Regarding claim 13, the Liu reference further discloses:
wherein the driver circuit (140) comprises a direct driver circuit, an isolation driver circuit, or a dedicated integrated driver chip (150).
18. Regarding claim 15, the Liu reference further discloses:
a control system, comprising:
a battery [Detailed Ways—Paragraph 0003]; and
the control circuit according to claim 1 (anticipated), wherein:
the control circuit (100) is configured to control connection or disconnection of a target
loop after being connected to the target loop, and the control circuit comprises a current
detection unit (110) and a driver circuit (140);
the current detection unit is configured to: when being connected to the battery,
output the first type signal when detecting that the battery has an overcurrent or a short
circuit [Detailed Ways—Paragraph 0008]; and
an input terminal of the driver circuit (140) is connected to a signal output terminal of the
current detection unit (110) (FIG. 2), an output terminal of the driver circuit (140) is configured to connect to a safety module (130) in the target loop (FIG. 2), and the driver circuit (140) is configured to output, in response to receiving the first type signal transmitted from the current detection unit (110), a drive signal to drive the safety module (130) to be disconnected,
wherein the target loop is a loop in the battery or a loop in a device in which the battery is located (FIG. 2).
19. Regarding claim 19, the Lui reference further discloses:
a battery management module (111), wherein one terminal of the battery management module (111) is connected to the battery [Detailed Ways—Paragraph 0008—where the power
battery pack is located], and an output terminal of the battery management module (111) is connected to the current detection unit or the driver circuit (140) (FIG. 2).
20. Regarding claim 20, the Lui reference further discloses:
a transportation device [Background—Paragraph 0001—electric vehicles], comprising the control circuit according to claim 1 (anticipated).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
21. 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.
22. Claim(s) 2 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu reference in view of the Yan reference (CN 206465794 U).
23. Regarding claim 2, the Liu reference further discloses:
wherein: another input terminal of the driver circuit (140), wherein the driver circuit (140) is further configured to output, the drive signal to drive the safety module (130) to be disconnected.
The Liu reference discloses the invention as essentially claimed. However, the Liu reference fails to disclose is connected to a signal output terminal of an airbag system in response to receiving a second type signal transmitted from the airbag system.
The Yan reference teaches it is conventional in the art of electric vehicles to provide as taught in the [Abstract] connected to a signal output terminal of an airbag system in response to receiving a second type signal transmitted from the airbag system [Abstract]. Such configurations/structures would allow a safety function guarantee [Abstract].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the device of the Liu reference, such that the reference fails to disclose connected to a signal output terminal of an airbag system in response to receiving a second type signal transmitted from the airbag system, as clearly suggested and taught by the Yan reference, in order to allow a safety function guarantee [Abstract].
24. Regarding claim 16, the Lui reference further discloses:
wherein: another input terminal of the driver circuit (140), wherein the driver circuit (140) is further configured to output, the drive signal to drive the safety module (130) to be disconnected and the driver circuit is further configured to output, the drive signal to drive the safety module (130) to be disconnected.
The Liu reference discloses the invention as essentially claimed. However, the Liu reference fails to disclose is connected to a signal output terminal of an airbag system in response to receiving a second type signal transmitted from the airbag system in response to receiving the second type signal transmitted from the airbag system.
The Yan reference teaches it is conventional in the art of electric vehicles to provide as taught in the [Abstract] connected to a signal output terminal of an airbag system in response to receiving a second type signal transmitted from the airbag system in response to receiving the second type signal transmitted from the airbag system [Abstract]. Such configurations/structures would allow a safety function guarantee [Abstract].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the device of the Lui reference, such that the device fails to disclose connected to a signal output terminal of an airbag system in response to receiving a second type signal transmitted from the airbag system in response to receiving the second type signal transmitted from the airbag system, as clearly suggested and taught by the Yan reference, in order to allow a safety function guarantee [Abstract].
25. Regarding claim 17, the Lui reference fails to disclose:
wherein the airbag system comprises an airbag control unit and an energy storage unit, the energy storage unit is configured to provide power for the airbag control unit, and the airbag control unit is configured to output the second type signal when detecting that a device in which the airbag control unit is located undergoes a collision.
The Yan reference teaches it is conventional in the art of electric vehicles to provide as taught in the [Abstract] wherein the airbag system comprises an airbag control unit and an energy storage unit, the energy storage unit is configured to provide power for the airbag control unit, and the airbag control unit is configured to output the second type signal when detecting that a device in which the airbag control unit is located undergoes a collision [Abstract]. Such configurations/structures would allow a safety function guarantee [Abstract].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art by the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the device of the Liu reference, such that the device fails to disclose wherein the airbag system comprises an airbag control unit and an energy storage unit, the energy storage unit is configured to provide power for the airbag control unit, and the airbag control unit is configured to output the second type signal when detecting that a device in which the airbag control unit is located undergoes a collision, as clearly suggested and taught by the Yan reference, in order to allow a safety function guarantee [Abstract].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10, 14 and 18 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 CHARLES J BRAUCH whose telephone number is (313)446-6511. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 6 PM.
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/CHARLES JOSEPH BRAUCH/
Examiner
Art Unit 3747
/LONG T TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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