DETAILED ACTION
This is the final office action for 18/012,656, filed 12/23/2022, which is a national stage entry of PCT/CN2020/128869, filed 11/4/2020, which claims priority to Chinese applications CN202010635067.8, filed 7/4/2020, and CN202021285374.X, filed 7/4/2020, after the request for continuation filed 6/22/2025.
Claims 1-2, 4, and 6-15 are pending, and are considered herein.
In light of the claim amendments, the claim objection and prior art rejections are withdrawn.
The rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) are modified as necessitated by amendments to the claims.
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 1-2, 4 and 6-15 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.
Claim 1 recites “wherein each of the at least one intermediate junction box, the first end edge junction box, and the second end edge junction box is located on the same side of the long side” in lines 16-17. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation, because there a prior recitation that each module comprises a long side. Therefore, it is unclear what structure is referred to by “the long side” in lines 16-17.
The Examiner recommends the following amendment: “wherein each of the at least one intermediate junction box, the first end edge junction box, and the second end edge junction box of a respective module is located on the same side of the long side of the respective module.”
Claim 1 recites “at least one diode is arranged in at least one of the at least one intermediate junction box, the first end edge junction box, and the second end edge junction box” in lines 17-19.
This limitation is indefinite, because there is a prior recitation of multiple first and second end junction boxes. Therefore, it is unclear to which first and second junction box is referred to by “the first end edge junction box, and the second end edge junction box.”
The Examiner recommends the following amendment: “at least one diode is arranged in at least one of the at least one intermediate junction box, the first end edge junction box, and the second end edge junction box of a respective module.”
Claims 2, 4, and 6-15 are indefinite, because of their dependence on Claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the prior art rejections have been fully considered and are persuasive. These rejections have been withdrawn. Further searching failed to identify any additional prior art that would render the limitations of Claim 1 either anticipated or obvious.
The claim amendments have necessitated new rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/SADIE WHITE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721