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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-6, 9-12, 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FERNANDO (US 2020/0305513) in view of SUR et al. (US 2018/0140013).
Fernando teaches an aerosol generation device comprising a power system (figure 1) comprising a first module comprising a hybrid capacitor (126, para. 0006) and a second module comprising a voltage source (106, para. 0060); and a controller (figure 2, para. 0017-0018), wherein the controller is configured to control a power flow of the first module to power a heater associated with the aerosol generation device (para. 0018); and control a power flow of the second module to charge the first supercapacitor module (para. 0017). Fernando teaches that the hybrid capacitor of the first module is preferably a lithium ion capacitor (para. 0007), wherein Sur teaches that a lithium ion capacitor is a type of supercapacitor (para. 0088); therefore, the first module of Fernando reads on the claimed first supercapacitor module. Fernando teaches the second module comprising a voltage source is a rechargeable lithium ion battery (para. 0060).
Sur teaches an aerosol generation device comprising a power system (figure 5) comprising a first module comprising a supercapacitor (SC in figure 5) and a second module comprising a voltage source (400 in figure 5); and a controller (para. 0015). Sur teaches that the voltage source is a rechargeable lithium ion battery or a rechargeable supercapacitor (para. 0047). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to substitute the rechargeable lithium ion battery in the second module of Fernando with a rechargeable supercapacitor because Sur teaches that they are known equivalents for providing a voltage source (para. 0047).
Regarding claim 2, Fernando the aerosol generation device comprises an electrical connection (137 in figure 2) for a charging component comprising a battery module (138), and wherein the power system does not comprise a battery (see discussion of claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 3, Fernando as modified by Sur above teaches the first supercapacitor module comprises at least one supercapacitor (see discussion of claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 4, figure 2 of Fernando shows the first supercapacitor module (126) and second supercapacitor module (106) are connected in parallel, and Fernando teaches the power system further comprises a second switching means (133) configured to be arranged between the first supercapacitor module and the heater, wherein the second switching means is configured to be controlled by the controller to control a power flow from the first supercapacitor module to the heater (para. 0097).
Regarding claim 5, Fernando teaches the power flow of the first supercapacitor module is a pulse width modulated power flow comprising one or more pulse width modulation cycles each having an on period and an off period (para. 0036); and wherein the controller is further configured to: control the power flow of the second supercapacitor module to charge the first supercapacitor module during the pulse width modulation cycle off period (para. 0037).
Regarding claim 6, Fernando teaches controlling the first supercapacitor module to apply the pulse width modulated power flow to the heater with a first duty cycle regime to maintain the heater substantially at an aerosol generation temperature (para. 0081), which reads on operating in a float mode.
Regarding claim 9, Fernando teaches the controller is configured to: disable the power flow to the heater following the float mode for a remaining time period in the aerosolization session (para. 0036, 0038) and control the second energy storage module to charge the first energy storage module (para. 0017).
Regarding claim 10, figure 1 of Fernando shows the aerosol generation device charging component is a charging case configured to accommodate the aerosol generation device, and to charge the second supercapacitor module when connected to the aerosol generation device.
Regarding claim 11, figure 2 of Fernando shows the aerosol generation device charging component comprises a battery module (138) configured to provide charge to the power system of the aerosol generation device.
Regarding claim 12, figure 1 of Fernando shows a system comprising the aerosol generation device and the aerosol generation device charging component connectable to the aerosol generation device, wherein the aerosol generation device charging component is a charging case configured to accommodate the aerosol generation device, and to charge the second supercapacitor module when connected to the aerosol generation device.
Regarding claim 15, Fernando teaches that the first supercapacitor module may hold sufficient charge to enable the one or more hybrid capacitors of the device to be charged 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 times (para. 0060) which indicates that the second supercapacitor module has a lower power capability than a power capability of the first supercapacitor module.
Regarding claim 16, Fernando teaches the voltage of a hybrid capacitor varies linearly with the charge stored in the one or more hybrid capacitors and that the voltage of a hybrid capacitor decreases as the charge of the hybrid capacitor decreases (para. 0037); therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the at least one hybrid supercapacitor would have a higher operating voltage than an operating voltage of either of the first and second supercapacitors.
Regarding claim 17, Sur teaches a DC/DC converter (504) arranged between the first supercapacitor module (SC) and the second supercapacitor module (400), wherein the DC/DC converter is configured to step up a voltage of the second supercapacitor module to charge the first supercapacitor module from the first supercapacitor module (para. 0089). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include a DC/DC converter into the aerosol generation device of Fernando because Sur teaches that this can give higher constant wattage (para. 0089).
Regarding claim 18, Fernando teaches the first supercapacitor module comprises at least a first supercapacitor and a second supercapacitor connected in series (para. 0014).
Claim(s) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FERNANDO (US 2020/0305513) in view of SUR et al. (US 2018/0140013) as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of LEE (US 2020/0329776).
Fernando as modified by Sur teaches an aerosol generation device comprising a power system comprising a first supercapacitor module (126) and a second supercapacitor module (106); and a controller (figure 2, para. 0017-0018), wherein the controller is configured to control a power flow of the first module to power a heater associated with the aerosol generation device (para. 0018); and control a power flow of the second module to charge the first supercapacitor module (para. 0017).
Lee teaches an aerosol generation device comprising a power system (11) and a controller (12) having a pulse width modulator (para. 0126-0127). Lee teaches the power system is operable in a pre-heating mode, wherein in the pre-heating mode the controller is configured to control the first supercapacitor module to apply the pulse width modulated power flow to the heater with a second duty cycle regime, different to the first duty cycle regime, during the pre-heating mode before the float mode to heat the heater to the aerosol generation temperature (para. 0105).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to operate the power system of modified Fernando in a pre-heating mode because Fernando teaches the power flow of the first supercapacitor module is a pulse width modulated power flow (para. 0036-0037) and Lee also teaches a pulse width modulated power flow (para. 0126-0127).
Regarding claim 8, figures 8A-8C of Lee show the first duty cycle regime comprises one or more pulse width modulation cycles with a first duty cycle ratio D1; wherein the second duty cycle regime comprises one or more pulse width modulation cycles with a second duty cycle ratio D2; wherein D2 = D1 x K, where K is a coefficient that is ≥1 (Lee para. 0105).
Regarding claim 9, Lee teaches the power system is operable in a post-float mode, wherein in the post-float mode the controller is configured to: disable the power flow to the heater following the float mode for a remaining time period in the aerosolization session (para. 0151). Bailey teaches the controller is configured to control the second energy storage module to charge the first energy storage module para. 0029 “A super capacitor auto balancing”).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) April 30, 2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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/CYNTHIA SZEWCZYK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741
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