Ims 1-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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-6, in the reply filed on 19 November 2025 is acknowledged. Group II, claims 7-13, have been withdrawn from consideration.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by O’Hare, et al (WO2020020788A1).
Regarding claim 1, O’Hare teaches a cartridge for use with an aerosol generating device. The cartridge has a housing that has a vapor outlet (mouthpiece) and is to transport vapor from the vaporization chamber to the vapor outlet. [0079] The cartridge electrical circuitry may be provided with electrical circuitry comprising a plurality of terminals. The electrical terminals are configured to connect the cartridge electrical circuitry to the main electrical circuitry of the device main body in order to enable the main body to retrieve information from the cartridge. [0086]
O’Hare teaches that the electrical terminals that are designed to connect to electrical connectors located in the main body to transfer information. The device contains circuit connectors, that can have different lengths [0059][0096], and that the circuit connectors in the cartridge connect to the electrical connectors of the main body in a predetermined sequence. [0095] O’Hare teaches the sequential configuration can be used to identify different cartridges and provide the device with information about the cartridge. [0096] [0097]
Regarding claim 2, O’Hare teaches a personal vaporizing device comprising a liquid store, a liquid transfer element, a heating element. [0010][0027] The liquid store contains a vaporizing liquid [0080] and the heating element comprising a coil [0081] and a liquid transfer element, which is equivalent to the claimed wick.([0078], [0082]) O’Hare discloses that the unit is fitted into the vapor channel of the device. (figure 1b)
Regarding claim 3, O’Hare teaches the cartridge has electrical connectors that are configured to establish a connection between the main electrical circuitry. The electrical connectors may be shaped as elongated contact members with a first end connected to the power terminals that are located in the cartridge seating portion of the main body. [0087] O’Hare describes the electrical connectors of the cartridge as being “resilient fingers” that are pressed against the power supply terminals of the main body using force to facilitate a stable contact between the cartridge and the main body. The elongated contact members described as “resilient finger” are considered to read on the protrusions of the instant claim.
O’Hare further discloses that the electrical connectors have a spacing that is between the connectors. (Figs. 5a and 5b)
O’Hare goes on to teach that the circuit terminals can be arranged at different positions in relation to the longitudinal direction of the cartridge configured to connect sequentially to the corresponding circuit connectors. [0094] The circuit terminals are provided at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge relative to the main bond connectors to allow the connection to be done through a predetermined sequence when connected. [0095] The sequence of the connection can be done by varying the length or position of the terminals and/or connectors in the longitudinal direction such that the initial connection portions of corresponding terminal/ connector pairs encounter each other at different timings upon normal insertion of the cartridge into the cartridge seat in which the cartridge is received by the main body.[0095] This positioning of the terminals/connectors allows for different sequencing to be used for different cartridges thus allowing the main body to operate with specific regards to the actual electronics contained in a specific cartridge. [0096] This use of the position of the connectors to differentiate between cartridges is considered to read on the limitation of the specific pattern of the protrusions being used to represent the unique information of the cartridge.
Regarding claim 4, O’Hare teaches the memory is used to store data on the usage of the consumable, including authentication data, type of consumable, composition, flavor, or remaining quantity of a liquid. [0020] The memory and a controller are located on a ridged support along with circuit terminals. [0042-0043]
O’Hare teaches that the portion of the cartridge that connects to the device is comprised of the circuit terminals that are connected to various portions of the cartridge memory. The cartridge has a first and second pair of lateral surface that are substantially parallel to each other [0045], arranged on the same plane [0046], and can contain one or more circuit terminals [0048]. The pairs of lateral circuit connectors can have varying spacing between each terminal in the pair [0047] and varying distances between the different pairs of terminals [0053]. This variation in spacing is considered to read on the specific pattern for multiple storage areas and the use of multiple and varying circuit pairs is considered to read on the storage areas(see annotated figure 1), as they are also a plurality of partitioned are that are comprised of protrusions and recesses. (fig 5a)
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Annotated Figure 1.
Regarding claim 5, O’Hare teaches that the cartridge has circuit terminals that can be arranged at different longitudinal positions in relation to the longitudinal direction of the cartridge. The circuit terminals of the main body are configured to be connected sequentially (i.e. at different times) to their corresponding cartridge circuit connectors. The length of the cartridge connectors and the position of the main body terminals determine the sequence. [0094] O’Hare teaches it is advantageous if the longitudinal positions of the connectors of the cartridge are varied since this enables different sequencing to be obtained for different cartridges - e.g. in order to take into account the actual electronics contained on the cartridge. [0096] The electrode length and position of the connector and terminal electrodes allow for specific sequence connection between the connectors and terminals. [0096-0097]
Regarding claim 6, O’Hare teaches the memory is used to store data on the usage of the consumable, including authentication data, type of consumable, composition, flavor, or remaining quantity of a liquid. [0020] The memory and a controller are located on a ridged support along with circuit terminals. [0042-0043]
O’Hare teaches that the portion of the cartridge that connects to the device is comprised of the circuit terminals that are connected to various portions of the cartridge memory. The cartridge has a first and second pair of lateral surface that are substantially parallel to each other [0045], arranged on the same plane [0046], and can contain one or more circuit terminals [0048]. The pairs of lateral circuit connectors can have varying spacing between each terminal in the pair [0047] and varying distances between the different pairs of terminals [0053]. This variation in spacing is considered to read on the specific pattern for multiple storage areas and the use of multiple and varying circuit pairs is considered to read on the storage areas, as they are also a plurality of partitioned are that are comprised of protrusions and recesses. (fig 5a)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VIRGINIA R BIEGER whose telephone number is (703)756-1014. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 7:30-4:30.
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/V.R.B./Examiner, Art Unit 1755 /PHILIP Y LOUIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1755
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