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 Group I, claims 12-21 in the reply filed on 01/13/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “The claimed invention is directed to technical problems about how to adapt the electric heating system to various voltages of external power source and how to fully utilize electric power under the various voltages while preventing the output power of the external power source / power supplied to the electric heating system from exceeding the rated power of the external power source. In the technical solution of, e.g., amended claim 12, the controller enables, according to a preset power-on logic, the external power source to distribute power to the multiple heating elements; specifically, in response to different voltages of 20V, 9V and 5V, proportions of heating durations for respective heating elements are determined based on different rated powers (which are determined by different rated voltages and the rated current of 2A) of the external power source and the areas of the respective heating elements. With determined proportions, within each electricity supplying period, the respective heating elements are charged/heated by their corresponding heating durations, thereby fully utilizing the electric power and preventing the output power from exceeding the rated power. In contrast, as recited in paragraph [0035] of Lovelace, "In order to limit the maximum power consumption, the heat blankets may be configured in an array of sections 2 as in illustrated in FIG.1, and their power consumption may be controlled in sections of one or more blankets. The PLC controls which heat blankets are activated, and allows the activated heat blankets to reach approximately 177 °C. Once this temp. is reached by a first active subset of blankets (one or more active blankets) the wattage requirement of the first active subset of blankets can be reduced. The PLC then reduces current to the first active subset of blankets to the maintenance level. This allows the PLC to activate additional heat blankets. Depending on the available electrical supply, more blankets can be activated over time as wattage demands drop on the active blankets. When a blanket has been active the required period, it will be turned off by the PLC and allowed to cool" (emphasis added).” on remarks page 7, lines 20-30, and page 8, lines 1-13.
This is found persuasive, and therefore the restriction filed in 11/13/2025 is hereby withdrawn, and claim 22 is now being examined.
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 12-22 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.
In claims 1 and 22, it is unclear in the equations what tn and Un are?
Claims 13-21 are rejected due to their dependency from claim 12.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-22 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: allowable subject matter is indicated for claims 12-22 because the prior art of record does not show or fairly suggest an electric heating system capable of adapting various voltages wherein a rated current of the external power source is 2A and a rated voltage of the external power source ranges from 5V to 20V, in a case that the voltage of the electric power applied to the electric heating system is 20V, a proportion of a heating duration of a respective heating element to one electricity supplying period is tₙ = Sₙ/(S₁ + S₂ + Sₙ), a heating power of a respective heating element in a case that the voltage of the electric power applied to the electric heating system is 9V, a proportion of a heating duration of a respective heating element to one electricity supplying period is tₙ = (2 X Sₙ)/(S₁ + S₂ + Sₙ), a heating power of a respective heating element is: in a case that the voltage of the electric power applied to the electric heating system is 5V, a proportion of a heating duration of a respective heating element to one electricity supplying period is tₙ = 1, a heating power of a respective heating element is: Wₙ = Pₙ tₙ = U² xtₙ/Rₙ, where n is the quantity of heating elements, n is greater than or equal to 2, Sₙ is an area of the heating element, Wₙ is the heating power of the heating element, Pₙ is the rated power of the heating element, Rₙ is a resistance of the heating element as recited in claim 12.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US 2006/0242900, US 2017/0311388, US 2005/0007406 and EP 2921084.
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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/ALBA T ROSARIO-APONTE/Examiner, Art Unit 3761 03/20/2026
/STEVEN W CRABB/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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