CTNF 18/267,484 CTNF 90537 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/03/2023 and 08/14/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. Claim Objections 07-29-01 AIA Claim s 15-33 are objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 15, line 13, delete “an discharge current” and replace with “a discharge current” In claim 33, line 10, delete “an discharge current” and replace with “a discharge current” The dependent claims are objected for the reasons as the independent claim from which they depend . Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 15-16, 19-22, 24-25, 27, 29-30, 33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by YAMAGUCHI et al. JP 6977324B2 (hereinafter Yamaguchi) . Regarding claims 15 and 33, Yamaguchi teaches a battery pack, comprising: a battery (fig. 1 and 3, element 100 and ¶¶ 0012, 0014 and 0016); a coupling portion (see fig. 1) configured to be connected to an electric work machine (fig. 1, element 30; the power tool body and ¶¶ 0010, 0016); a connection detector configured to detect connection or non-connection of the electric work machine to the coupling portion ( ¶¶ 0010, 0097, 0103 and claim 4; the microcomputer determines the presence or absence of the main body side microcomputer by comparing the electric power of the positive electrode terminal of the battery pack with the electric power of the abnormal signal terminal and further confirm the connection state between the battery pack and the power tool ); a receiver configured to receive work machine information from the electric work machine connected to the coupling portion, the work machine information including a specification of the electric work machine ( ¶¶ 0103, 0105 and claim 1; the microcomputer of the control unit 350 does not need to be compared with the voltage of the upper positive electrode terminal by the upper voltage detection circuit, and can easily determine that the power tool main body includes the microcomputer only by detecting the LD terminal voltage…the value of the control parameter to be changed can be stored in advance in memory included in the microcomputer, and any of the stored values can be read/received and set according to the determination result ); and PNG media_image1.png 444 546 media_image1.png Greyscale a controller (the microcomputer of the control unit 350; ¶ 0103) configured to: vary a prohibition range (¶ 0103 and claims 1, 9, 11; the control unit 350 can change a control parameter for battery cell monitoring, for example, an overload protection condition according to the determination result ) based on (i) the connection or non-connection that is detected by the connection detector, or (ii) the specification that is received by the receiver, the prohibition range being defined by a range of an output voltage value ( ¶ 0105; a cell voltage upper limit value Vmax at the time of charging, a cell voltage lower limit value Vmin at the time of discharging ) and by a range of a discharge current value (¶ 0105; the discharge current limit value Imax), the output voltage value corresponding to a magnitude of an output voltage of the battery (¶¶ 0105-0106; cell voltage upper limit value Vmax, cell voltage lower limit value Vmin), the discharge current value corresponding to a magnitude of a current flowing from the battery (¶ 0105; discharge current limit value), and prohibit the battery from discharging based on (i) the output voltage value ( ¶ 0105; based on a cell voltage lower limit value Vmin at the time of discharging. Therefore, the battery can be discharged beyond the cell voltage lower limit ) and (ii) the discharge current value falling within the prohibition range (¶ 0105; based on the discharge current limit value Imax). Regarding claim 16, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack wherein the specification includes a load of the electric work machine ( ¶ 0103; including an overload protection condition according to the determination result ). Regarding claim 19, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack according to wherein the specification includes whether the electric work machine includes a cooling fan and/or a light (¶ 0030; four LEDs). Regarding claim 20, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack according to wherein the battery includes a first battery block and a second battery block, the first battery block being configured to be connected in series (¶ 0084) or in parallel to the second battery block in accordance with the electric work machine connected to the coupling portion, and wherein the specification includes whether the first battery block is connected in series to the second battery block, or connected in parallel to the second battery block ( ¶ 0105; the microcomputer is determined whether the connection is in parallel or in series ). Regarding claim 21, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack according to wherein the controller is configured to vary the prohibition range (by changing the discharge current limit value Imax) based on the connection (series connection; ¶ 0105) or the non-connection (¶ 0105; non-series connection) that is detected by the connection detector. Regarding claim 22, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack according to wherein the controller is configured to vary the prohibition range based on the load ( ¶¶ 0105, 0118; change a control parameter for the battery cell monitoring, such as, an overload protection condition ). Regarding claim 24, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack according to wherein the controller is configured to vary the prohibition range (¶ 0103; change a control parameter) based on whether the electric work machine includes a cooling fan and/or a light (¶¶ 0108-0109; light). Regarding claim 25, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack wherein the controller is configured to vary the prohibition range based on whether the first battery block is connected in series or in parallel to the second battery block (¶¶ 0103, 0105). Regarding claim 27, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack according to wherein the controller is configured to narrow the prohibition range in a case where the load is small, more than in a case where the load is large (¶¶ 0103, 0105, 0120; setting a threshold value). Regarding claim 29, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack according to wherein the controller is configured to narrow the prohibition range (¶ 0118; change the control parameters) in a case where the electric work machine includes the cooling fan and/or the light, more than in a case where the electric work machine include neither the cooling fan nor the light (¶ 0030). Regarding claim 30, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack according to wherein the controller is configured to narrow the prohibition range in a case where the first battery block is connected in parallel to the second battery block, more than in a case where the first battery block is connected in series to the second battery block (¶¶ 0104-0105; set sufficiently high to near the limit value of the battery cell) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 31-32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YAMAGUCHI et al. JP 6977324B2 (hereinafter Yamaguchi) . Regarding claims 31-32, Yamaguchi teaches the battery pack wherein the prohibition range includes a first range and a second range (¶ 0103; the control parameter can be changed), the discharge current value in the second range being smaller than that in the first range (since the control parameter can be changed. One can be a longer range, another one can be a shorter range). Yamaguchi does not disclose the range of the discharge current value in the second range being adjacent to the range of the discharge current value in the first range, and wherein the controller is configured to fix the first range and narrow the range of the output voltage value in the second range, thereby to narrow the prohibition range. However, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention before the effective filing date to provide the range of the discharge current value in the second range being adjacent to the range of the discharge current value in the first range, and wherein the controller is configured to fix the first range and narrow the range of the output voltage value in the second range, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the “optimum range” involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller , 105 USPQ 233. See MPEP 2144.05 . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-07 AIA 07-97 12-51-07 Claim 14 is allowed. 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 17-18, 23, 26, 28 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. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 14, Yamaguchi teaches a battery pack, comprising: a battery; a coupling portion configured to be connected to an electric work machine; a line that connecting the battery to the coupling portion, but it fails to teach or suggest further inclusion of a controller programmed to: narrow a prohibition range in a case of determining the non- connection, more than in a case of determining the connection, the prohibition range being defined by a range of the output voltage value and by a range of the discharge current value. Regarding claim 17, the prior art fails to teach or suggest further inclusion of wherein the specification includes whether the electric work machine includes a first actuator, the first actuator being configured to perform a series of movements, the series of movements corresponding to the first actuator moving from a first position to a second position and returning from the second position to the first position. Regarding claim 26, the prior art fails to teach or suggest further inclusion of the battery pack according to wherein the controller is configured to narrow the prohibition range in a case where the non-connection is detected by the connection detector, more than in a case where the connection is detected by the connection detector . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Cruise et al. US 2012/0286732 Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIXUAN ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)272-6739. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am to 5:00 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, Taelor Kim can be reached at 571-270-7166. 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. 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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. /ZIXUAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 03/17/2026 Application/Control Number: 18/267,484 Page 2 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/267,484 Page 3 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/267,484 Page 4 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/267,484 Page 5 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/267,484 Page 6 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/267,484 Page 7 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/267,484 Page 8 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/267,484 Page 9 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/267,484 Page 10 Art Unit: 2859 Application/Control Number: 18/267,484 Page 11 Art Unit: 2859