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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species I, Figure 2, claims 1-9 in the reply filed on 07/07/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “The Restriction Requirement makes an unsupported assertion that at least one of (A), (B), or (C) applies, but does not provide the appropriate explanation required under M.P.E.P. § 808.02 that there would be a serious burden on the Examiner to search both alleged species. See Office Action, pp. 2-5. There would be no serious burden on the Examiner by withdrawing the restriction requirement and searching both alleged species.”. This is not found persuasive because, as explained in the restriction mailed on 05/06/2025, there is a serious search and/or examination burden for the patentably distinct species as set forth above because at least the following reason(s) apply: The species require a different field of search (e.g., searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search queries); and /or the prior art applicable to one species would not likely be applicable to another species; and/or the species are likely to raise different non-prior art issues under 35 U.S.C. 101 and/or 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fosbinder (US 2008/0264922).
Regarding claim 1, Fosbinder teaches a welding power system (10), comprising:
an interface (34) to receive an input corresponding to one or more supply power levels (para. 0027); an input circuit to monitor supply current or supply power from one or more supply power sources (sensor feedback, available power, demanded power; abstract; para. 0045-0046); power conversion circuitry to condition the supply current or the supply power to output power for one or more welding devices (para. 0029); and control circuitry (32, 78) configured to: receive a measurement of the supply current or the supply power from the input circuit (sensor feedback, available power, demanded power; abstract; para. 0045-0046); determine a magnitude of the supply current or the supply power (sensor feedback, available power, demanded power; abstract; para. 0045-0046); compare the supply current magnitude or the supply power magnitude to a predetermined threshold current magnitude or a predetermined threshold power magnitude based in part on the one or more supply power levels (abstract; para. 0045-0047); and control the power conversion circuitry to adjust the output power to the one or more welding devices in response to an output power demand from the one or more welding devices causing the supply current magnitude or the supply power magnitude to exceed the predetermined threshold current or power magnitude (abstract; para. 0045-0047).
Regarding claim 2, Fosbinder teaches the welding power system of claim 1, wherein the supply current magnitude or the supply power magnitude are one of a discrete current or power value or a range of current or power values (available power, demanded power; para. 0045-0046).
Regarding claim 3, Fosbinder teaches the welding power system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine the predetermined threshold current magnitude or predetermined threshold power magnitude based at least in part on a rated power level of the supply power (para. 0045-0046).
Regarding claim 4, Fosbinder teaches the welding power system of claim 1, wherein the one or more supply power levels comprise one or more of a supply power magnitude, a supply current magnitude, a range of supply power magnitudes, or a range of supply current magnitudes (para. 0045-0046).
Regarding claim 5, Fosbinder teaches the welding power system of claim 1, wherein one or more supply power levels are one or more of a breaker size, a generator output, or a power source output rating (para. 0027).
Regarding claim 6, Fosbinder teaches the welding power system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine the predetermined threshold current or the predetermined threshold power magnitudes as a percentage above or below the one or more supply power levels, or a magnitude above or below the one or more supply power levels (para. 0045-0047).
Regarding claim 7, Fosbinder teaches the welding power system of claim 1, wherein the interface provides an indication of the supply current magnitude or the supply power magnitude at a moment that the supply current magnitude or the supply power magnitude exceeds the predetermined threshold current or power magnitude (para. 0027; 0038; 0045-0047).
Regarding claim 8, Fosbinder teaches the welding power system of claim 1, wherein the interface is one or more of a user interface or a communications interface circuit (para. 0027).
Regarding claim 9, Fosbinder teaches the welding power system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control an alert indicating the output power is adjusted in response to exceeding the predetermined threshold current magnitude or the predetermined threshold power magnitude (para. 0027; 0038; 0045-0047).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US 2020/0127486, US 2019/0351499 and US 2019/0232413.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALBA T ROSARIO-APONTE whose telephone number is (571)272-9325. The examiner can normally be reached M to F; 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Crabb can be reached at 571-270-5095. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALBA T ROSARIO-APONTE/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
08/20/2025
/STEVEN W CRABB/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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