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 .
Claims 1-17 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-7, 10-11 and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tamura, et al. (US 2016/0254685, herein Tamura).1 Regarding claim 1, Tamura teaches an electronic device, comprising: a system circuit (paragraph 0020: system 100); a power connector, configured to receive power (Fig. 1: connection between batteries B1-n and the rest of the circuit); a path selection circuit, coupled to the system circuit and the power connector (paragraph 0031: path selecting unit 31); a plurality of battery connectors, configured to respectively couple a plurality of batteries (paragraph 0021: connection member L10); a plurality of series circuits, respectively corresponding to the battery connectors, wherein each of the plurality of series circuits is connected between the corresponding battery connector and the path selection circuit (paragraph 0021) and comprises a charging switch (paragraph 0023: switching unit 11), a battery switch and a discharging path, the charging switch and the battery switch is connected in series between the path selection circuit and the corresponding battery connector (paragraph 0031: discharging path selection unit 32), and the discharging path bridges across the charging switch (paragraph 0031); and a control circuit, coupled to the path selection circuit and each of the plurality of series circuits, configured to control a connection state of the path selection circuit and to control the charging switch and the battery switch of each of the plurality of series circuits (paragraph 0031: control unit 30), wherein the control circuit is further configured to, in a sequential discharge mode, control the path selection circuit to connect the series circuits to the system circuit, and control the series circuits to turn on the battery switch thereof in turn and to remain the remaining battery switches and all the charging switches of the plurality of series circuits off (paragraph 0045). Regarding claim 2, Tamura teaches the control circuit is further configured to, in the sequential discharge mode, control the path selection circuit to connect the power connector to the system circuit (paragraph 0045). Regarding claim 3, Tamura teaches the control circuit is further configured to, in a simultaneous discharge mode, control the battery switch of each of the plurality of series circuits to be turned on, control the charging switch of each of the plurality of series circuits to be turned off, and control the path selection circuit to connect the series circuits to the system circuit (paragraph 0037). Regarding claim 4, Tamura teaches the control circuit is further configured to, firstly work in the sequential discharge mode until the electricity of the batteries satisfies a specified electricity, and then work in the simultaneous discharge mode when the electricity of the batteries satisfies the specified electricity (paragraph 0045). Regarding claim 5, Tamura teaches the control circuit is further configured to, in the simultaneous discharge mode, control the path selection circuit to connect the power connector to the system circuit (paragraph 0045). Regarding claim 6, Tamura teaches the control circuit is further configured to, in a sequential charge mode, control the series circuits to turn on the charging switch and the battery switch thereof in turn, and control the path selection circuit to connect the series circuits to the external power (paragraph 0027). Regarding claim 7, Tamura teaches the control circuit is further configured to, in a simultaneous charge mode, turn on the charging switch and the battery switch of each of the plurality of series circuits, and control the path selection circuit to connect the series circuits to the power connector (paragraph 0027). Regarding claim 10, Tamura teaches the discharging path is a discharging switch, the discharging switch bridges across the charging switch, and the discharging switch is controlled by the control circuit (paragraph 0031). Regarding claim 11, Tamura teaches the discharging switch is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor element, a bipolar junction transistor or a relay (paragraph 0026). Regarding claim 13, Tamura teaches he discharging path is a unidirectional control unit, the unidirectional control unit bridges across the charging switch, and a reverse end of the unidirectional control unit is adjacent to the path selection circuit (paragraph 0045). Regarding claim 14, Tamura teaches the unidirectional control unit is a diode (paragraph 0045). Regarding claim 15, Tamura teaches the control circuit comprises a controller, and the controller is coupled to the path selection circuit and electrically connected to each of the plurality of series circuits, and is configured to control a connection state of the path selection circuit and control the charging switch and the battery switch of each of the plurality of series circuits (paragraph 0031). Regarding claim 16, Tamura teaches the path selection circuit comprises a charger, the power connector is coupled to the system circuit via the charger, and the system circuit is coupled to each of the plurality of series circuits via the charger (paragraph 0045).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9, 12 and 17 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 MATTHEW MIKELS whose telephone number is (571)270-5470. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 7:30 AM ET - 5:00 PM ET, Friday 7:30 AM ET - 11:30 AM ET, the Examiner is on central time.2
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael G Lee can be reached at 571-272-2398. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW MIKELS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
1 In addition to the cited paragraphs, please see also the associated figures.
2 The Examiner can also be reached at matthew.mikels@uspto.gov.
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