DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits, in response to the claims received 4/15/2026. Claims 1,3-8,10,11,13-17 are pending for prosecution below.
Response to Amendment
This is in response to an amendment/response filed on 4/15/2026
Claims 1,5,6, 7,8,10,11,15-17 have been amended.
No new claims added.
Hereon, claims 1,3-8,10,11,13-17 are currently pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1,3,6, 7,8,10-11,13,15-17 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is not supported by either a specific and substantial asserted utility or a well-established utility. Claims lacks any recitation of structure, let alone a recitation which creates a substantial tie so as to impose meaningful limitations on the claim scope because is merely a set of instructions. There is nothing of record which clearly indicates that the method recited is not directed to an abstract idea.
Claims 1,3, 6,7,8,10-11,13,15-17 also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph. Specifically, because the claimed invention is not supported by either a specific and substantial asserted utility or a well-established utility for the reasons set forth above, one skilled in the art clearly would not know how to use the claimed invention.
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) 5,7,8, and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yoon et al, (USNO.2015/0234363).
As for claim 5, Yoon discloses and shows in Fig. 9 and 10 an external apparatus to be connected to an electronic apparatus, the external apparatus comprising: an outputter which supplies power to the electronic apparatus; a receiver which receives a notification signal (via VBUS) from the electronic apparatus, the notification signal indicating that an abnormality (via ref’s power abnormality) has occurred between the external apparatus and the electronic apparatus; and a processor which, in response to the receiver receiving the notification signal, executes processing to increase voltage to be output from the outputter based on the notification signal such that charging can be performed within a charging time similar to a charging time within which charging can be performed under normal conditions (par.[0094,0109- 0110]) .
As for claim 7, Yoon discloses and shows in Figs. 6,7, and 9 a charging method of an electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus including a first connector, the charging method comprising: measuring voltage at a secondary battery, the secondary battery being supplied with power by being electrically connected to an external apparatus including a second connector; measuring current flowing through the secondary battery; acquiring a charging state of the secondary battery based on the measured voltage; and determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred to a connection state between the external apparatus and the electronic apparatus, by comparing a current threshold (via ref’s TA or CA) with the measured current, the current threshold set based on the acquired charging state (par.[0085,0094,0106-0110]).
As for claim 8, Yoon discloses and shows in Figs. 6,7, and 9 a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program, the program causing for controlling a computer of an electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus including a first connector, and the program being executable to control the computer to execute operations comprising: measuring voltage at a secondary battery, the secondary battery being supplied with power by being electrically connected to an external apparatus including a second connector; measuring current flowing through the secondary battery, the secondary battery being supplied with power by being electrically connected to an external apparatus, or voltage at a connector included in an electronic apparatus that is to be connected to the external apparatus includes; acquiring a charging state of the secondary battery based on the measured voltage; and determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred to a connection state between the external apparatus and the electronic apparatus, by comparing a current threshold with the measured current, the current threshold being set based on and the acquired charging state (par.[0085,0094,0106-0109]).
As for claim 13, Yoon discloses and shows in Figs. 6 and 7 abnormality is notified in response to determination that the abnormality has occurred
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 4 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoon in view of Harshey et al, (Harshey), (USPATNO.10,720,838).
As for claim 4, Yoon discloses all limitations, but differs from the claimed invention because he does not explicitly disclose determining an abnormality has occurred, the controller performs control in such a way as to cause processor makes the external apparatus supply power at a higher voltage
Harshey discloses determining an abnormality (ref’s low voltage) has occurred, the controller performs control in such a way as to cause processor makes the external apparatus supply power at a higher voltage (col.2, line 60-col.3, line 26)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have modified the teachings of Yoon by determining an abnormality has occurred, the controller performs control in such a way as to cause processor makes the external apparatus supply power at a higher voltage for advantages such as providing the ability to maximize charge time (col.3, line 6-7) , as taught by Harshey.
As for claim 14, Yoon in combination with Harshey discloses response to determination that the abnormality has occurred, the external apparatus is made to supply power at a higher voltage for the electronic apparatus by transmission of a notification signal to the external apparatus.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/15/2026 have been fully considered but are now moot in view of the new grounds of rejection necessitated by amendment
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARUN C WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-9765. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached on 571-272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARUN C WILLIAMS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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