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 .
Status of the Claims
In the communication filed on 04/24/2023 claims 1-10 are pending. Claim 1 is independent.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because in Figs. 2 and 7 the applicant illustrates plots without titles and labeling for the axes and waveforms, in Fig. 5 the applicant uses boxes to illustrate structural components (see annotated Fig. 5 below for the boxes being objected to), and in Fig. 6 the applicant symbolizes an encircled L and G for a load and a generator respectively, however these alone do not facilitate understanding of the drawings. To overcome this objection, the applicant should add more details in the drawings (e.g., clear symbols, text in the boxes, arrows with text coming off, or a legend in the drawings).
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.
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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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Clarke et al. (USPGPN 20220123581).
With respect to claim 1, Clarke teaches an auxiliary gasoline vehicle booster (Fig. 1a; a battery booster 100) comprising a box (Fig. 1a; a housing 102) and a first energy storage element mounted in the box (Fig. 1b-1d; internal battery 160).
Clarke teaches wherein the box has a side provided with an external cord (Fig. 1a; ¶[34]; wherein the housing 102 has a side with a DC output terminal 136 for connecting the pair of electrical conductors 166).
Clarke teaches the external cord is electrically connected in parallel with a generator and a lead-acid battery of a gasoline vehicle (Fig. 1c; the pair of electrical conductors 166 are electrically connected in parallel via the pair of positive/negative clamps 168 with the alternator (not illustrated but taught in ¶[44, 50, 53, 86, 90, 103]) and the external battery 104 (e.g., a lead-acid battery, see ¶[30]) of a gasoline vehicle 106).
Clarke teaches the first energy storage element is electrically connected with the external cord (Fig. 1a-1e; the battery 160 is electrically connected with the pair of electrical conductors 166).
Clarke teaches the first energy storage element is used to receive and store an electric energy supplied by the generator of the gasoline vehicle (¶[53] penultimate sentence; the battery 160 (i.e., battery 160 is part of power bank 158) receives and stores electrical energy supplied by the alternator of the vehicle 106).
Clarke teaches the first energy storage element is used to supply an electric power to the gasoline vehicle (¶[40] first sentence; battery 160 is used to supply electric power to the vehicle 106).
Clarke teaches the first energy storage element has a voltage ranged between that of the generator and that of the lead-acid battery (¶[186] penultimate sentence; the external battery 104’s voltage is 12V and the alternator’s voltage is between 13.7V – 14.7V when the vehicle is running. ¶[47] last sentence; the nominal voltage of battery 160 is between 12.8V - 13.2V. Therefore, the external battery 104 voltage < the internal battery 160 voltage < the alternator voltage (i.e., the first energy storage element has a voltage ranged between that of the generator and that of the lead-acid battery)).
With respect to claim 2, Clarke teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 1. Further, Clarke teaches wherein the first energy storage element is a secondary rechargeable battery (¶[46] first sentence; the internal battery 160 is a rechargeable lithium battery).
With respect to claim 3, Clarke teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 2. Further, Clarke teaches wherein the secondary rechargeable battery is a lithium iron phosphate battery (¶[46] second sentence; the internal battery 160 is a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery).
With respect to claim 6, Clarke teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 1. Further, Clarke teaches a second energy storage element electrically connected with the first energy storage element in parallel (Figs. 1b-1d; ¶[201] antepenultimate sentence; a supercapacitor bank 163 coupled in parallel with battery 160).
With respect to claim 7, Clarke teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 6. Further, Clarke teaches wherein the second energy storage element includes multiple super capacitors which are connected in series (¶[101]; supercapacitor bank 163 includes multiple supercapacitors 162 connected in series).
With respect to claim 8, Clarke teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 6. Further, Clarke teaches two first switches located between the first energy storage element and the second energy storage element (Fig. 1d; supercapacitor switches 192 located between the internal battery 160 and the supercapacitor bank 163).
Clarke teaches a second switch located between the external cord and the second energy storage element (Fig. 1d; boost switch 191 located between external battery 104 (i.e., the pair of electrical conductors 166) and the supercapacitor bank 163).
With respect to claim 9, Clarke teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 1. Further, Clarke teaches wherein the external cord has a distal end provided with a cigarette lighter input connector which is inserted into a cigarette lighter socket of the gasoline vehicle (Figs. 1a and 1c; ¶[53] second sentence; electrical conductor 166 has a detachable electrical port/connector 164 which may be inserted into an automotive cigarette lighter).
With respect to claim 10, Clarke teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 1. Further, Clarke teaches wherein the external cord has a distal end provided with a gasoline vehicle rescue chuck set which is clamped on electrodes of the lead-acid battery of the gasoline vehicle (Figs. 1a and 1c; the pair of electrical conductors 166 have a set of battery clamps 168 for clamping on to the positive and negative electrodes of the battery 104 of the vehicle 106).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Clarke et al. (USPGPN 20220123581).
With respect to claim 4, Clarke teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 1. Further Clarke teaches the generator has a voltage of 14.5V (¶[186]; the alternator’s voltage is between 13.7V – 14.7V when the vehicle is running, therefore the alternator has a voltage of 14.5V); the lead-acid battery has a voltage of 12V (¶[186]; the external battery 104’s voltage is 12V); and the first energy storage element has a voltage of 13.2V (¶[47]; the nominal voltage of battery 160 is between 12.8V - 13.2V).
Clarke discloses the claimed invention except for the lead-acid battery has a voltage of 12.4V. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to select a lead-acid battery with a voltage of 12.4V, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. As understood by one of ordinary skill, the advantage to having a 12.4V lead-acid battery being that it provides improved engine starting capabilities and reduced sulfation when compared to a 12.0V lead-acid battery.
With respect to claim 5, Clarke teaches the invention as discussed above in claim 4. Further, Clarke teaches wherein the first energy storage element includes multiple lithium iron phosphate battery cores which are connected in series (Fig. 9; ¶[46, 195]; internal battery 160 comprises multiple lithium iron phosphate battery cells connected in series).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nook et al. (USPGPN 20210075235) teaches a portable or handheld jump starting and air compressing apparatus for jump starting a vehicle engine and air inflating an article such as a tire. The apparatus can include a rechargeable lithium ion battery or battery pack and a microcontroller.
Inskeep (USPGPN 20100301800) teaches a multi-purpose battery jump starter and reconditioner. The device is portable and includes electronic circuitry for use in desulfating lead-acid batteries. A rechargeable internal battery permits operation in remote conditions.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Frank A Silva whose telephone number is (703)756-1698. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 09:30 am -06:30 pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be reached at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FRANK ALEXIS SILVA/Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/DREW A DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859