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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 08/01/2023 and 11/22/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 36 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.
A broad range or limitation together with a narrow range or limitation that falls within the broad range or limitation (in the same claim) may be considered indefinite if the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. See MPEP § 2173.05(c). In the present instance, claim 36 recites the broad recitation “an output voltage that is between 3 V and 15 V”, and the claim also recites “or that is 5 V” which is the narrower statement of the range/limitation. The claim(s) are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced by such narrower language is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38 and 39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gareis [US 4,450,427].
Claim 22, Gareis discloses a [figure 5] state detection circuit comprising: a Hall sensor circuit with a Hall sensor [58]; a voltage regulator [V1]; and an output switch [10], wherein the Hall sensor circuit is connected between the voltage regulator and the output switch [figures 5 and 6].
Claim 23, Gareis discloses the state detection circuit according to claim 22, wherein the Hall sensor [58] is configured to provide a binary output signal [col. 5 line 65 to col. 6 line 5, the hall sensor output is either grounded or open].
Claim 25, Gareis discloses the state detection circuit according to claim 22, further comprising a supply port [66] and a ground terminal [ground; figures 5 and 6].
Claim 26, Gareis discloses the state detection circuit according to claim 25, further comprising a first diode [86] between the supply port [66] and an input of the voltage regulator [V1].
Claim 29, Gareis discloses the state detection circuit according to claim 22, wherein the Hall sensor is connected to three different lines [V1, 68 and ground; figure 5] of the Hall sensor circuit.
Claim 30, Gareis discloses the state detection circuit according to claim 29, wherein the Hall sensor [58] is connected to ground and the output switch [10], and wherein the Hall sensor is electrically coupled to an output of the voltage regulator [figure 5].
Claim 32, Gareis discloses the state detection circuit according to claim 22, further comprising a first diode [86] circuit between an output terminal [62] and ground.
Claim 34, Gareis discloses the state detection circuit according to claim 22, further comprising a third resistive [resistor in 60] element between ground and the output switch [10; figure 5].
Claim 38, Gareis discloses a remotely operable switch comprising: an electrical switch [36/38]; and the state detection circuit according to claim 22 configured to provide a switching state of the electrical switch.
Claim 39, Gareis discloses the remotely operable switch according to claim 38, wherein the remotely operated switch is a relay, a contactor [abs] or a high voltage contactor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 24, 27, 28, 31, 33, 35, 37 and 40-42 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bernard Rojas whose telephone number is (571)272-1998. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. thru Fri. 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S Ismail can be reached at (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/BERNARD ROJAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Prosecution Insights