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 .
Applicant’s response filed on 12/31/2025 has been entered and considered. Upon entering claims 1-14, 16-19, and 21-22 were pending; claims 1, 14, 16 have been amended; claims 15 and 20 have been canceled; and claims 21 and 22 have been newly added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 12/31/2025 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection as further noted.
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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1, 12-14, and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bertness et al. (US 2023/0063349) in view of Ferrel et al. (US 2021/0197744).
Regarding claim 1, Bertness teaches An appliance (fig. 3@ 200) configured to receive power from an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) device (fig. 5@ 224; par. [0031], “the plug 224 from the charger 104”), the appliance (200) comprising: at least one housing (fig. 2@ housing 202); an input power receptacle (fig. 2@ 206) disposed on the at least one housing (200) and configured to receive the plug of the EVSE device (224) to establish a physical connection therebetween (see figure 5), the input power receptacle (206) including one or more line power inputs configured to receive power from the plug of the EVSE device (224), (see figures 6-7 and par. [0032]); at least one electrical load (see par. [0032], power output connection 206 to a load) disposed in the at least one housing (200); and a control circuit (figs. 6-7: control circuitry 230 and 240) coupled to the input power receptacle (206) and the at least one electrical load to supply power received over the one or more line power inputs (see figures 6 and 7) to the at least one electrical load (see par. [0032-0037]), the control circuit (230 and 240) further configured to, in response to a demand response signal received from the EVSE device (104, 224) through the input power receptacle (206) (par. [0032-0037]).
However, Bertness does not explicitly teach selectively reduce the power supplied to the at least one electrical load while the at least one electrical load is active to reduce power consumption by the at least one electrical load while the at least one electrical load remains active to meet an allowed power indicated by the demand response signal.
Ferrel teaches selectively reduce the power supplied to the at least one electrical load while the at least one electrical load is active to reduce power consumption by the at least one electrical load while the at least one electrical load remains active to meet an allowed power indicated by the demand response signal (see par. [0004-0007] and [0059], If the power demand exceeds the first power available, then the vehicle electrical system power demand may be limited to the first available power. This may also trigger a load shedding operation in which one or more electrical loads are selected to operate at a lower power level).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bertness with the teachings of Ferrel by having selectively reduce the power supplied to the at least one electrical load while the at least one electrical load is active to reduce power consumption by the at least one electrical load while the at least one electrical load remains active to meet an allowed power indicated by the demand response signal in order to limiting power spikes and managing peak usage reduces thermal and mechanical stress on appliances, potentially extending their operational lifespan.
Regarding claim 12, the combination teaches wherein the appliance is a vacuum and the at least one electrical load includes a universal motor (see output 260 of Fig 9 to provide power to electric motor of an EV, par. [0039]; Bertness).
Regarding claim 13, the combination teaches wherein the at least one electrical load is a variable electrical load and the appliance includes at least one non-variable electrical load, and wherein the control circuit is configured to supply full power received over the one or more line power inputs to the at least one non-variable electrical load while selectively reducing the power supplied to the at least one variable electrical load, (see power connection, activating power connection, maximum current available to charge an EV, para 36; see initiating control to allow or shut off output power connection, par. [0037]; based on power input connection and status of pins, adaptor can simultaneously allow charging of EV at 240v and accessory power tool at other output socket based on connection status, par 40-45; see enabling and disabling power transfer from input power connection based on adaptor controller and signals received from EV charger plug system, par. [0030-0033]; see 240v power output socket 260 of Fig 9 capable of providing output power to charge a EV when power adaptor 200 is switched on and providing power to output socket/outlets, par. [0039]; providing power to electric vehicle while simultaneously providing power to additional appliance/tool, par. [0040]; and claim 20; use of switch, relay, controller, resistors to determine voltage, current and power and selectively connect power input connection to power output connection; Bertness).
Regarding claim 14, the combination teaches wherein the input power receptacle further includes a control pilot (CP) input, wherein the demand response signal is received on the CP input, wherein the demand response signal has a duty cycle that varies with the allowed power, and wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the allowed power by determining the duty cycle of the demand response signal (see figure 4 and par. [0045-0057], Ferrel).
Regarding claim 21, the combination teaches wherein the control circuit (230 and 240) is configured to cause the EVSE device (224) to supply power over the one or more line power inputs after establishment of the physical connection between the input power receptacle and the plug of the EVSE device (224) without the use of any independent source of power in the appliance (see figures 5-7; and par. [0031-0037], Bertness).
Regarding claim 22, Bertness teaches An appliance (fig. 3@ 200) configured to receive power from an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) device (fig. 5@ 224; par. [0031], “the plug 224 from the charger 104”), the appliance comprising: at least one housing (fig. 2@ housing 202); a user-actuatable (figs. 5-6@ 225) control disposed on the at least one housing (202); an input power receptacle (fig. 2@ 206) disposed on the at least one housing (200) and configured to receive the plug of the EVSE device (224) to establish a physical connection therebetween (see figure 5), the input power receptacle (206) including one or more line power inputs configured to receive power from the plug of the EVSE device (224), (see figures 6-7 and par. [0032]); at least one electrical load (see par. [0032], power output connection 206 to a load) disposed in the at least one housing (200); and a control circuit (figs. 6-7: control circuitry 230 and 240) coupled to the input power receptacle (206) and the at least one electrical load to supply power received over the one or more line power inputs (see figures 6 and 7) to the at least one electrical load (see par. [0032-0037]), the control circuit (230 and 240) configured to, in response to user actuation of the user-actuatable control, cause the EVSE device to transition to a charging state and thereby supply power to the one or more line power inputs of the input power receptacle through the plug (par. [0032-0037]), the control circuit (230, 240) further configured to, in response to a demand response signal received from the EVSE device (104, 224) through the input power receptacle (206) (par. [0032-0037]).
However, Bertness does not explicitly teaches selectively reduce the power supplied to the at least one electrical load while the at least one electrical load is active to reduce power consumption by the at least one electrical load to meet an allowed power indicated by the demand response signal.
Ferrel teaches selectively reduce the power supplied to the at least one electrical load while the at least one electrical load is active to reduce power consumption by the at least one electrical load to meet an allowed power indicated by the demand response signal (see par. [0004-0007] and [0059], If the power demand exceeds the first power available, then the vehicle electrical system power demand may be limited to the first available power. This may also trigger a load shedding operation in which one or more electrical loads are selected to operate at a lower power level).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bertness with the teachings of Ferrel by having selectively reduce the power supplied to the at least one electrical load while the at least one electrical load is active to reduce power consumption by the at least one electrical load to meet an allowed power indicated by the demand response signal in order to limiting power spikes and managing peak usage reduces thermal and mechanical stress on appliances, potentially extending their operational lifespan.
Claims 2-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bertness et al. (US 2023/0063349) in view of Ferrel et al. (US 2021/0197744) and further in view of Ostrovsky et al. (US 9,608,533).
Regarding claim 2, the combination teaches wherein the control circuit is configured to supply power to the at least one electrical load using an alternating current (AC) power signal received over the one or more line power inputs (see par. [0030-0033]; Bertness).
However, the combination does not explicitly teach wherein the control circuit includes a TRIAC device configured to control the power supplied to the at least one electrical load, and wherein the control circuit is configured to selectively reduce the power supplied to the at least one electrical load by controlling the TRIAC device to vary a waveform of the AC power signal.
Ostrovsky teaches the control circuit includes a TRIAC (see fig. 6@ TR) device configured to control the power supplied to the at least one electrical load (fig. 6@ LOAD 14), and wherein the control circuit is configured to selectively reduce the power supplied to the at least one electrical load by controlling the TRIAC device to vary a waveform of the AC power signal (see col. 4, line 65 – col. 7, line 14).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bertness and Ferrel with the teachings of Ostrovsky by having the control circuit includes a TRIAC device configured to control the power supplied to the at least one electrical load, and wherein the control circuit is configured to selectively reduce the power supplied to the at least one electrical load by controlling the TRIAC device to vary a waveform of the AC power signal in order to provides a highly efficient, silent, and cost-effective method for controlling power to a load.
Regarding claim 3, the combination teaches wherein the control circuit is configured to control the TRIAC device to vary the waveform of the AC power signal using a phase control algorithm, (see col. 3, lines 24-38; Ostrovsky).
Regarding claim 4, the combination teaches wherein the control circuit is configured to control the TRIAC device to vary the waveform of the AC power signal using the phase control algorithm by controlling an activation delay for the TRIAC device after detection of a zero crossing of the AC power signal, (see col. 3, lines 24-38; and col. 5, line 48 – col. 6, line 14; Ostrovsky).
Regarding claim 5, the combination teaches wherein the control circuit is configured to control the TRIAC device to vary the waveform of the AC power signal using a cycle skipping algorithm, (see col. 3, line 49 – col. 4, line 6; Ostrovsky).
Regarding claim 6, the combination teaches wherein the control circuit is configured to control the TRIAC device to vary the waveform of the AC power signal using the cycle skipping algorithm by selectively deactivating the TRIAC device for one or more half cycles of the AC power signal, (see col. 3, line 49 – col. 4, line 6; and col. 14, lines 31-46; Ostrovsky).
Regarding claim 7, the combination teaches wherein the control circuit is configured to deactivate the TRIAC device for one or more half cycles of the AC power signal by generating a firing pattern for the TRIAC device, (see col. 3, line 49 – col. 4, line 6; and col. 14, lines 31-46; Ostrovsky).
Regarding claim 8, the combination teaches wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a firing pattern for the TRIAC device by generating an array including a plurality of elements, each element corresponding to a half cycle within a sampling period and indicating whether the TRIAC device is activated during the corresponding half cycle, (see col. 5, line 48 – col. 6, line 14; Ostrovsky).
Regarding claim 9, the combination teaches wherein the control circuit is configured to control the TRIAC device to vary the waveform of the AC power signal by setting a counter that triggers an interrupt upon reaching an overflow condition to change a state of the TRIAC device, (see col. 3, lines 24-54; Ostrovsky).
Regarding claim 10, the combination teaches wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the TRIAC device using a zero cross interrupt service routine that is triggered upon detecting a zero crossing of the AC power signal, (see col. 3, lines 24-54; Ostrovsky).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bertness et al. (US 2023/0063349) in view of Ferrel et al. (US 2021/0197744) and further in view of Bhat et al. (US 2020/0122585).
Regarding claim 11, the combination teaches the appliance above, but does not explicitly teach wherein the appliance is a heater and the at least one electrical load includes a resistive heating element.
Bhat teaches wherein the appliance is a heater and the at least one electrical load includes a resistive heating element (see par. [0020], high-voltage electrical loads 146 may be a fan, an electric heating element).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bertness and Ferrel with the teachings of Bhat by having the appliance is a heater and the at least one electrical load includes a resistive heating element in order to providing power to a plurality of electrical loads.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-19 are allowed.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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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/XUAN LY/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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