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 Interpretation
Claim 18 recites the limitation “the switch” which the examiner is interpreting as “a switch”.
Claim 20 recites the limitation “the display portion” which the examiner is interpreting as “a display portion”.
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.
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) 1-7, 9-14 and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu US20200168862A1 in view of Luo US20240429538A1.
Regarding claim 1, Luo discloses a battery pack (Liu, Fig. 1, battery pack 100), comprising:
a housing (Liu, Fig. 1, housing 101) having a connecting portion (Liu, Figs. 1-2, socket 110) configured to match and connect to a tool or a charging device (Liu, [0053]),
wherein the connecting portion comprises a first connecting terminal (Liu, Fig. 2, terminal 116),
a second connecting terminal, a third connecting terminal, a fourth connecting terminal, a fifth connecting terminal (Liu, Fig. 2, terminals 111-114),
and a sixth connecting terminal (Liu, Fig. 2, terminal 115),
a first battery cell group (Liu, Fig. 3, cell group 102) and a second battery cell group (Liu, Fig. 3, cell group 102) are disposed in the housing (Liu, [0054]), and a quantity of battery cells electrically connected in series in the first battery cell group is equal to a quantity of battery cells electrically connected in series in the second battery cell group (Liu, [0054]),
wherein the first battery cell group has a first positive terminal and a first negative terminal (Liu, Fig. 3, cell group 102, + and - terminals), and the second battery cell group has a second positive terminal and a second negative terminal (Liu, Fig. 3, cell group 103, + and - terminals),
wherein the first positive terminal, the first negative terminal, the second positive terminal and the second negative terminal match and correspondingly connect to the second connecting terminal to the fifth connecting terminal, respectively (Liu, Fig. 3, cell groups 102 and 103, + and – terminals, terminals 111-114),
wherein the sixth connecting terminal functioning as a signal terminal (Liu, [0055], Fig. 2, terminal 115),
and wherein the first connecting terminal functioning as a charging terminal (Liu, [0055], Fig. 2, terminal 116). Liu however does not disclose wherein the sixth connecting terminal functioning as a signal terminal is electrically connected to a control module disposed in the housing, and wherein the first connecting terminal functioning as a charging terminal is electrically connected to a first end of a switch, a second end of the switch is electrically connected to the first positive terminal, and a third end of the switch is electrically connected to the control module, and wherein when external corresponding terminals arranged on the charging device are inserted into the battery pack, the switch is electrically connected to the first connecting terminal, enabling the battery pack to be charged by the charging device, and when external corresponding terminals arranged on the tool are inserted into the battery pack, the switch is electrically connected to the first positive terminal, enabling the battery pack to be discharged to the tool.
Luo teaches wherein the sixth connecting terminal functioning as a signal terminal (Luo, Fig. 17, communication port 1215) is electrically connected to a control module (Luo, Fig. 17, control unit 1311) disposed in the housing (Luo, Fig. 2, housing 110),
and wherein the first connecting terminal functioning as a charging terminal (Luo, Fig. 17, charging terminal 1216) is electrically connected to a first end of a switch (Luo, Fig. 17, switch 1441),
a second end of the switch is electrically connected to the first positive terminal (Luo, Figs. 4 and 17, terminal 1213, switch 1441),
and a third end of the switch is electrically connected to the control module (Luo, Fig. 17, control unit 1311, switch 1441),
and wherein when external corresponding terminals arranged on the charging device are inserted into the battery pack, the switch is electrically connected to the first connecting terminal, enabling the battery pack to be charged by the charging device (Luo, [0076], [0078]),
and when external corresponding terminals arranged on the tool are inserted into the battery pack, the switch is electrically connected to the first positive terminal, enabling the battery pack to be discharged to the tool (Luo, [0076-0077]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan to add the structure of Luo to Liu thereby outputting voltage through the terminals or charging the battery cells (Luo, [0076]).
Regarding claim 2, modified Liu also teaches wherein a quantity of battery cells in the first battery cell group and the second battery cell group is greater than or equal to 1, respectively (Liu, Fig. 3, cells groups 102 and 103).
Regarding claim 3, modified Liu additionally teaches wherein the switch is an electrically controlled switch (Luo, [0076]).
Regarding claim 4, Liu as modified above by Luo does not explicitly teach wherein the electrically controlled switch is one of an MOSFET, an IGBT, a relay, a silicon controlled rectifier, a transistor, or a thyristor. Luo however does teach in a different embodiment wherein the electrically controlled switch is one of a transistor (Luo, [0068]). Therefore it would be obvious to substitute the transistor of Luo in modified Liu, thereby the switch may be a suitable switch structure capable of realizing an on-off state (Luo, [0068]).
Regarding claim 5, modified Liu further teaches wherein the connecting portion is integrally formed with a part of the housing (Liu, as reasonably suggested in Figs. 1-2, housing 101, socket 110).
Regarding claim 6, modified Liu also teaches further comprising a mounting portion disposed on a side of the battery pack (Liu, Fig. 1, mounting portion on top of battery pack 100), the connecting portion is arranged on a side of the mounting portion (Liu, Figs. 1-2, mounting portion on top of battery pack 100, socket 110 on side of mounting portion), and the mounting portion is configured to match and connect to the tool (Liu, [0060]) or the charging device (Liu, [0055]).
Regarding claim 7, Liu as modified by Luo does not teach further comprising a display portion disposed on the housing, wherein the display portion is electrically connected to the control module, which triggers the display portion to display an electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group.
Luo teaches in a different embodiment further comprising a display portion disposed on the housing (Luo, [0067], Figs. 5-6, housing 110, power display unit 1318), wherein the display portion is electrically connected to the control module (Luo, Fig. 6, control unit 1311), which triggers the display portion to display an electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group (Luo, [0067]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan to add the display portion of Luo to modified Liu, thereby displaying the power of the battery pack (Luo, [0067]).
Regarding claim 9, Liu as modified by Luo above teaches the battery pack according to claim 1, and a charging device for charging the battery pack according to claim 1 (Liu, [0055]),
wherein the charging device comprises external corresponding terminals matching the connecting terminals respectively (Liu, [0055]),
and two of the external corresponding terminals are configured to be electrically connected to the second positive terminal and the first negative terminal respectively (Liu, [0055], Fig. 3, cell groups 102 and 103, + and – terminals, terminals 111-114),
and electrically connect the second positive terminal to the first negative terminal (Liu, [0055], Fig. 3, cell groups 102 and 103, + and – terminals, terminals 111-114).
Regarding claim 10, modified Liu also teaches wherein a quantity of battery cells in the first battery cell group and the second battery cell group is greater than or equal to 1, respectively (Liu, Fig. 3, cells groups 102 and 103).
Regarding claim 11, modified Liu additionally teaches wherein the switch is an electrically controlled switch (Luo, [0076]) but does not explicitly teach wherein the electrically controlled switch is one of an MOSFET, an IGBT, a relay, a silicon controlled rectifier, a transistor, or a thyristor. Luo however does teach in a different embodiment wherein the electrically controlled switch is one of a transistor (Luo, [0068]). Therefore it would be obvious to substitute the transistor of Luo in modified Liu, thereby the switch may be a suitable switch structure capable of realizing an on-off state (Luo, [0068]).
Regarding claim 12, modified Liu further teaches wherein the connecting portion is integrally formed with a part of the housing (Liu, as reasonably suggested in Figs. 1-2, housing 101, socket 110).
Regarding claim 13, modified Liu also teaches further comprising a mounting portion disposed on a side of the battery pack (Liu, Fig. 1, mounting portion on top of battery pack 100), the connecting portion is arranged on a side of the mounting portion (Liu, Figs. 1-2, mounting portion on top of battery pack 100, socket 110 on side of mounting portion), and the mounting portion is configured to match and connect to the tool (Liu, [0060]) or the charging device (Liu, [0055]).
Regarding claim 14, Liu as modified by Luo does not teach further comprising a display portion disposed on the housing, wherein the display portion is electrically connected to the control module, which triggers the display portion to display an electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group.
Luo teaches in a different embodiment further comprising a display portion disposed on the housing (Luo, [0067], Figs. 5-6, housing 110, power display unit 1318), wherein the display portion is electrically connected to the control module (Luo, Fig. 6, control unit 1311), which triggers the display portion to display an electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group (Luo, [0067]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan to add the display portion of Luo to modified Liu, thereby displaying the power of the battery pack (Luo, [0067]).
Regarding claim 16, Liu as modified by Luo above teaches the battery pack according to claim 1, and an electric tool carrying the battery pack according to claim 1 (Liu, [0053]), wherein the electric tool performs discharge control on the battery pack (Liu, [0056]).
Regarding claim 17, modified Liu also teaches wherein a quantity of battery cells in the first battery cell group and the second battery cell group is greater than or equal to 1, respectively (Liu, Fig. 3, cells groups 102 and 103).
Regarding claim 18, modified Liu additionally teaches wherein the switch is an electrically controlled switch (Luo, [0076]) but does not explicitly teach wherein the electrically controlled switch is one of an MOSFET, an IGBT, a relay, a silicon controlled rectifier, a transistor, or a thyristor. Luo however does teach in a different embodiment wherein the electrically controlled switch is one of a transistor (Luo, [0068]). Therefore it would be obvious to substitute the transistor of Luo in modified Liu, thereby the switch may be a suitable switch structure capable of realizing an on-off state (Luo, [0068]).
Regarding claim 19, Liu as modified by Luo does not teach further comprising a display portion disposed on the housing, wherein the display portion is electrically connected to the control module, which triggers the display portion to display an electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group.
Luo teaches in a different embodiment further comprising a display portion disposed on the housing (Luo, [0067], Figs. 5-6, housing 110, power display unit 1318), wherein the display portion is electrically connected to the control module (Luo, Fig. 6, control unit 1311), which triggers the display portion to display an electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group (Luo, [0067]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan to add the display portion of Luo to modified Liu, thereby displaying the power of the battery pack (Luo, [0067]).
Claim(s) 8, 15 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu US20200168862A1 in view of Luo US20240429538A1 and further in view of Ziegler US20070080667A1.
Regarding claim 8, modified Liu does not teach further comprising a trigger button arranged on the housing and electrically connected to the control module, wherein the display portion displays the electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group when the trigger button is pressed.
Ziegler teaches further comprising a trigger button arranged on the housing (Ziegler, housing 4, element 16) and electrically connected to the control module (Ziegler, [0032-0033]), wherein the display portion displays the electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group when the trigger button is pressed (Ziegler, [0014], [0016]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the trigger button of Ziegler to modified Liu, thereby actuating the measurement electronics (Ziegler, [0016]).
Regarding claim 15, modified Liu does not teach further comprising a trigger button arranged on the housing and electrically connected to the control module, wherein the display portion displays the electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group when the trigger button is pressed.
Ziegler teaches further comprising a trigger button arranged on the housing (Ziegler, housing 4, element 16) and electrically connected to the control module (Ziegler, [0032-0033]), wherein the display portion displays the electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group when the trigger button is pressed (Ziegler, [0014], [0016]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the trigger button of Ziegler to modified Liu, thereby actuating the measurement electronics (Ziegler, [0016]).
Regarding claim 20, modified Liu does not teach further comprising a trigger button arranged on the housing and electrically connected to the control module, wherein a display portion displays the electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group when the trigger button is pressed.
Ziegler teaches further comprising a trigger button arranged on the housing (Ziegler, housing 4, element 16) and electrically connected to the control module (Ziegler, [0032-0033]), wherein a display portion displays the electric quantity of the first battery cell group and/or the second battery cell group when the trigger button is pressed (Ziegler, [0014], [0016]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the trigger button of Ziegler to modified Liu, thereby actuating the measurement electronics (Ziegler, [0016]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JARED HANSEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4590. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tiffany Legette can be reached at 571-270-7078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JARED HANSEN/Examiner, Art Unit 1723 /TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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