DETAILED ACTION
Notice of 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 .
Drawing Objection
The drawings are objected to because Figure 2 shows white boxes without any description, e.g. 22, 221, 223, 225, 224, 23, 12, 13. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 2-4 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2 L. 2-3 “the switches are connected in parallel, and the switches are each connected in series with at least one of the resistors and then connected in parallel” should be -- the switches are each connected in series with at least one of the resistors and then connected in parallel--;
Claim 3 L. 1-2 “the resistors of the switches” should be -- the resistors--;
Claim 4 l. 2 “the number” should be – the number--;
Appropriate correction 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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 4: Claim 4 recites “the buttons are arranged like keys on a musical instrument” it is not clear how the arrangement of the key had to resemble a musical instrument, and which musical instrument, yielding indefiniteness. To further advance prosecution the limitation is interpreted as the button being aligned and next to each other, similar to the keys of a piano and to the buttons illustrated in Fig. 1 of the present application.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lightsey (US 2020/0163162) in view of Castracane (US 2007/0221645)
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Regarding Claim 1: Lightsey discloses an electric blanket (see title), comprising an electric blanket body (201; Fig. 2) and a power supply device (see annotated figure ‘162) for power supply and control (see annotated figure ‘162); the power supply device including a power plug (see annotated figure ‘162) for electrical connection to an alternating-current electric power supply (see annotated figure ‘162), a main control module (220; Fig. 2) for voltage conversion and control (see [0018]), and a first interface (230; Fig. 2) for electrical connection to the electric blanket body; the electric blanket body including a controller (222; Fig. 2), a heating load (load provided by 202 Fig. 2), and a second interface (204; Fig. 2) that is detachably connected to the first interface (see Fig. 2), the main control module being electrically connected to the heating load via the first interface and the second interface (see annotated figure ‘162); the controller including a button assembly ( [0016]) for adjusting temperature ([0016]), the button assembly including at least one button ([0016]), the second interface being electrically connected to the controller (see annotated figure ‘162); the main control module being electrically connected to the controller (see annotated figure ‘162), and the main control module controls a working state (state of the resistance 202; Fig. 2) of the heating load after receiving a signal (see annotated figure ‘162, “temperature setting” [0004]) from the button via the second interface and the first interface in sequence (see annotated figure ‘162, [0004]).
Lightsey is silent regarding the button assembly including at least two switches, the switches being triggered and controlled by the button, and wherein when the button of the button assembly is operated, a corresponding one of the switches is triggered and closed.
However, Castracane teaches an electric blanket (see Title), comprising an electric blanket body (12; Fig. 1) and a controller (14; Fig. 1), a heating load (see load in 14), the controller including a button assembly (circles in 14; Figs. 1 and 8), the button assembly including at least one button (circles in 14; Figs. 1 and 8) and at least two switches (SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4; Fig. 4), the switches being triggered and controlled by the button, and wherein when the button of the button assembly is operated, a corresponding one of the switches is triggered and closed (see the 4 buttons in 14 controlled the four switches SW1, SW2, SW3, and SW4 in Fig. 4).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the controller of Lightsey by the one of Castracane to have the button assembly including at least two switches, the switches being triggered and controlled by the button, and wherein when the button of the button assembly is operated, a corresponding one of the switches is triggered and closed, as taught by Castracane, and thus having the second interface being electrically connected to the switches, and the main control module being electrically connected to the switches. Doing so would enable to provide control and adjustment of the temperature.
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Regarding Claim 2: Lightsey in view of Castracane teaches all the limitations of Claim 1, as stated above, and Castracane further teaches wherein the button assembly further includes a plurality of resistors (R40, R41, R42, and R44), the switches are connected in parallel (see Fig. 4), and the switches are each connected in series with at least one of the resistors and then connected in parallel (see Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 3: Lightsey in view of Castracane teaches all the limitations of Claim 1, as stated above, and Castracane further teaches wherein the resistors of the switches have different resistance values (see Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 4: Lightsey in view of Castracane teaches all the limitations of Claim 1, as stated above, and Castracane further teaches wherein the at least one button includes a plurality of buttons (see Fig. 8) corresponding in number to the number of the switches (see Figs. 4 and 8 wherein there is four switches for four buttons).
Lightsey in view of Castracane is silent regarding the buttons being arranged like keys on a musical instrument (i.e. buttons being all aligned next to each other).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to rearrange the buttons to have the buttons being all aligned next to each other, i.e. arranged like keys on a musical instrument, since it has been held that mere relocation of an element would not have modified the operation of the device. (In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950)).
(In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950)). (Claims to a hydraulic power press which read on the prior art except with regard to the position of the starting switch were held unpatentable because shifting the position of the starting switch would not have modified the operation of the device.); In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975) (the particular placement of a contact in a conductivity measuring device was held to be an obvious matter of design choice).
Regarding Claim 5: Lightsey in view of Castracane teaches all the limitations of Claim 1, as stated above, and Lightsey further discloses wherein the electric blanket body is a wearable electric blanket body (the blanket can be worn on a body).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lightsey (US 2020/0163162) in view of Castracane (US 2007/0221645), and further in view of Castracane973 (US 6,884,973)
Regarding Claim 6: Lightsey in view of Castracane teaches all the limitations of Claim 1, as stated above, and Castracane further teaches the switches being triggered by actuating the buttons (the buttons control the circuitry and thus the switches).
Lightsey in view of Castracane is silent regarding the button being slide button, and thus the switches are triggered by sliding the slide button.
However, Castracane973 teaches a heating pad (see Title) with a slide button (22; Fig. 2) to control the heating pad (Col. 1 L.38-48).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buttons of Lightsey in view of Castracane to have the button being a slide button, as taught by Castracane 973. Doing so would enable to provide a direct visual state indication.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see notice of references cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RODOLPHE ANDRE CHABREYRIE whose telephone number is (571)272-3482. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30-18:30.
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/RODOLPHE ANDRE CHABREYRIE/Examiner, Art Unit 3741