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 Objections Claims 1, and 13 is objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding claims 1 and 13, in line 1, the recitation “An inerting device for a battery comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal presenting opposite polarity, the inerting device comprising a connection circuit”, is unclear. It is unclear whether a first terminal and a second terminal are a part of the battery or inerting device. By reviewing the specification, the examiner figured out that the terminals are the battery terminals. For clarity purposes, the claim can be written as : “An inerting device for a battery, where the battery comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal presenting opposite polarity, the inerting device comprising: a connection circuit” . Appropriate correction is required. 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 appl icant regards as his invention. Claim 4 is 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. Regarding claim 4, the claim recites “ wherein the connection circuit is configured to supply the same charging circuit ” , is not clear. It is unclear that what charging circuit the connection circuit is configured to supply and how the recited limitation should be interpreted. The scope of this limitation cannot be determined with reasonable certainty, the claim is indefinite. Appropriated correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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 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. Claim (s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IRVIMÄKI, M., "COMPONENT TESTING FOR SPACECRAFT POWER SUBSYSTEM PASSIVATION FUNCTION" TAMPEREEN TEKNILLINEN YLIOPISTO TAMPERE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, (2017 ), and Newton ( US 9 , 263 , 903 ). Regarding claim 1, Maxim discloses an inerting device for a battery (page 17, 3.5 section) comprising: a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal presenting opposite polarity (battery if fig. 3. 10 has two terminals with the opposite polarity), the inerting device comprising a connection circuit, the connection circuit connecting the battery to at least one charging circuit the connection circuit comprising a first connector, a second connector and a switching unit (see the annotated fig below), Annotated fig. I However, Maxim is silent about the switching unit being able to switch between a first position in which the first connector is connected to the first terminal and a second position in which the first connector is connected to the second terminal. Newton discloses an apparatus for detecting and switching battery polarity in a battery charger (abstract). Newton further discloses the switching unit (DPDT analog SW, fig. 1) being able to switch between a first position in which the first connector is connected to the first terminal and a second position in which the first connector is connected to the second terminal (fig. 1 shows switch circuit is used to connect the battery terminals at the two position, e.g. first terminal can be connected to the first connector at the first position and connect with the second connector at the second position; Col. 3, lines 22-44). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Maxim’s switching circuit to include dipole type of switches to change the polarity of the batteries with the connection circuit as taught by Newton, in order to have the simple, cost-effective and compact control for changing the polarity of a DC circuit. Regarding claim 2, Maxim in view of Newton discloses the inerting device of claim 1. Newton further discloses wherein the switching unit is also able to connect the second connector to the second terminal in the first position and to connect the second connector to the first terminal in the second position (fig. 1 shows switch circuit is used to connect the battery terminals at the two position, e.g. second terminal can be connected to the first connector at the first position and connect with the second connector at the second position; Col. 3, lines 22-44). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Maxim’s switching circuit to include dipole type of switches to change the polarity of the batteries with the connection circuit as taught by Newton, in order to have the simple, cost-effective and compact control for changing the polarity of a DC circuit. Regarding claim 3 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses the inerting device of claim 1. Newton further discloses wherein the switching unit is also able to switch to a third position in which the battery is in short circuit or open circuit (a fully-open tri-state condition to exist when the circuit is powered, Col. 4, line 29, can be considered the open circuit when the battery terminals are not connected to any connector). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Maxim’s switching circuit to include dipole type of switches to change the polarity of the batteries with the connection circuit as taught by Newton, in order to have the simple, cost-effective and compact control for changing the polarity of a DC circuit. Regarding claim 4 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses the inerting device of claim 1. Maxim further discloses wherein the connection circuit is configured to supply the same charging circuit (the charging circuit solar arrays and PDU is connected to the connection circuit, fig. 3.10). Regarding claim 5 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses the inerting device of claim 1. Newton discloses wherein the switching unit includes at least one two-position contactor (two switches with the connection position, fig. 1). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Maxim’s switching circuit to include dipole type of switches to change the polarity of the batteries with the connection circuit as taught by Newton, in order to have the simple, cost-effective and compact control for changing the polarity of a DC circuit. Regarding claim 6 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses the inerting device of claim 1. Newton discloses wherein the switching unit is a set of two two-position contactors (two switches with the connection position, fig. 1). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Maxim’s switching circuit to include dipole type of switches to change the polarity of the batteries with the connection circuit as taught by Newton, in order to have the simple, cost-effective and compact control for changing the polarity of a DC circuit. Regarding claim 7 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses the inerting device of claim 6 . Newton discloses wherein each contactor is connected to a respective connector (contactor is connected to the charger outputs (connector), fig. 1). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Maxim’s switching circuit to include dipole type of switches to change the polarity of the batteries with the connection circuit as taught by Newton, in order to have the simple, cost-effective and compact control for changing the polarity of a DC circuit. Regarding claim 8 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses the inerting device of claim 6. Newton discloses wherein each contactor is connected to a respective terminal (contactor is connected to the battery terminals, fig. 1). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Maxim’s switching circuit to include dipole type of switches to change the polarity of the batteries with the connection circuit as taught by Newton, in order to have the simple, cost-effective and compact control for changing the polarity of a DC circuit. Regarding claim 9 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses a power supply unit including a battery and an inerting device for the battery (see the annotated fig above), the inerting device is according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Maxim’s switching circuit to include dipole type of switches to change the polarity of the batteries with the connection circuit as taught by Newton, in order to have the simple, cost-effective and compact control for changing the polarity of a DC circuit. Regarding claim 10 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses the power supply unit of claim 9. Maxim further discloses wherein the battery is a battery comprising lithium (page 6, sect. 2.3). Regarding claim 1 1 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses a system including a charging circuit and a power supply according to claim 9 ((solar arrays and PDU, fig. 3.10)). Regarding claim 1 2 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses the system of claim 9. Maxim further discloses wherein the charging circuit is a solar panel or the control and power distribution circuit (solar arrays and PDU, fig. 3.10). Regarding claim 13, Maxim discloses a method for inerting a battery (page 17, 3.5 section) comprising: a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal having opposite polarity(battery in fig. 3. 10 has two terminals with the opposite polarity), the method being implemented by an inerting device comprising a connection circuit, the connection circuit connecting the battery to at least one charging circuit the connection circuit comprising a first connector, a second connector and a switching unit (see the annotated fig. I above). However, Maxim is silent about the method comprising a step of switching between a first position in which the first connector is connected to the first terminal and a second position in which the first connector is connected to the second terminal . Newton discloses an apparatus for detecting and switching battery polarity in a battery charger (abstract). Newton further discloses the method comprising a step of switching between a first position in which the first connector is connected to the first terminal and a second position in which the first connector is connected to the second terminal (fig. 1 shows switch circuit is used to connect the battery terminals at the two position, e.g. first terminal can be connected to the first connector at the first position and connect with the second connector at the second position; Col. 3, lines 22-44). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Maxim’s switching circuit to include dipole type of switches to change the polarity of the batteries with the connection circuit as taught by Newton, in order to have the simple, cost-effective and compact control for changing the polarity of a DC circuit. Regrading claim 14, Maxim in view of Newton discloses the inerting method of claim 13. Maxim further discloses the method includes a step of discharging the battery through the charging circuit (table 3.1 batteries section; 3.2 battery level section). However, Maxim is silent about the switching circuit can switch in the specific position, Newton discloses the specific position of the battery with the battery charger, for example, in the first position the second connector is connected to the second terminal, in the second position, the second connector is connected to the first terminal (fig. 1 shows switch circuit is used to connect the battery terminals at the two position, e.g. second terminal can be connected to the first connector at the first position and connect with the second connector at the second position; Col. 3, lines 22-44). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Maxim’s switching circuit to include dipole type of switches to change the polarity of the batteries with the connection circuit as taught by Newton, in order to have the simple, cost-effective and compact control for changing the polarity of a DC circuit. Regrading claim 1 5 , Maxim in view of Newton discloses the inerting method of claim 1 4 . Maxim further discloses wherein during the discharge step, the battery is successively in a discharge phase, in an over discharge phase, in a reversal phase and then in a fully passivated state (Battery disconnection, battery discharge, battery short-circuit, so1ar army disconnection and solar array short-circuit passivation functions were selected for the test of the components. According to passivation study performed on Airbus DS LEO PCDUs, in most of the requirement specifications the passivation methods are defined as battery disconnection, solar array disconnection and combination of battery and solar array disconnection. Page 18). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT SADIA KOUSAR whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)272-3386 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT M-Th 7:30am-5:30pm . Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. FILLIN "Examiner Stamp" \* MERGEFORMAT SADIA . KOUSAR Examiner Art Unit 2859 /JULIAN D HUFFMAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859