DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits, in response to the claims received 01/16/2024. Claims 1-8 are pending for prosecution below.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Groat et al, (Groat), (USNO.2014/0340024).
As for claim 1, Groat discloses and shows in Figs.1-4 an intelligent charger with battery charging and discharging maintenance unattended for long time, comprising a charging regulation module, a first feedback module, an output module, a charging control module, a second feedback module, a battery identification module, an intelligent control module, a feedback regulation module, a battery maintenance module, and a manual regulation module (via ref’s internal monitoring and control circuitry); wherein the charging regulation module is configured to receive electrical energy, and a signal fed back from the first feedback module, and to perform a DC-DC regulation process (via ref’s dynamic based charging) on input electrical energy based on a feedback signal; wherein the first feedback module is connected to the charging regulation module and configured to transmit electrical energy output from the charging regulation module and sample voltage and current of a transmitted electrical energy for outputting the first feedback signal; wherein the output module is connected to the first feedback module and configured to receive electrical energy output from the first feedback module and transmit it to an electric device connected to the output module; wherein the second feedback module is connected to the output module and configured to sample electrical energy of the output module in terms of voltage and output a second feedback signal; wherein the battery identification module is connected to the output module and configured to, for the electric device connected to the output module, perform battery identification and output battery type information; wherein the intelligent control module is connected to the feedback regulation module, the battery identification module, the second feedback module and the battery maintenance module (via ref’s dynamic based charging), and is configured to, output a first pulse signal, a second pulse signal and a third pulse signal; select a pulse pattern to be input into the feedback regulation module based on battery type information received; receive the second feedback signal; determine electrical energy condition of the electric device connected to the output module; set clock information (ref’s timer); output a fourth pulse signal; and control operation of the battery maintenance module based on the clock information; wherein the feedback regulation module is connected to the first feedback module, and configured to output a feedback regulation signal; change amplitude of the first feedback signal output by the first feedback module; receive the first pulse signal, the second pulse signal and the third pulse signal; and regulate amplitude of feedback signals; wherein the battery maintenance module is connected to the second feedback module, and configured to, via a battery maintenance circuit, compare the second feedback signal and the fourth pulse signal those received, and output a first control signal; wherein the manual regulation module is connected to the second feedback module and configured to manually regulate a battery threshold, compare a set battery threshold with the second feedback signal, and output a second control signal; and wherein the charging control module is connected to the battery maintenance module and the manual regulation module, and configured to receive the first control signal and the second control signal, and control the DC-DC regulation process of the charging regulation module (par.[0023,0034-0038,0050]).
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Groat in view of GAO et al, (GAO), (USNO.2023/0035744)
As for claim 2, Groat discloses all limitations, but differs from the claimed invention because he does not explicitly disclose a communication module, configured to establish a wireless communication network with the intelligent control module and can interact with the intelligent control module for data; and the communication module is connected with the intelligent control module
Gao discloses a communication module, configured to establish a wireless communication network with the intelligent control module and can interact with the intelligent control module for data; and the communication module is connected with the intelligent control module (par.[0045-0049])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have modified the teachings of Groat by using a communication module, configured to establish a wireless communication network with the intelligent control module and can interact with the intelligent control module for data; and the communication module is connected with the intelligent control module for advantages such as providing the ability to improve charging efficiency (par.[0005]) , as taught by GAO.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3-8 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: charging regulation module comprises a power input port, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a thermistor, a first regulator, a first power tube, a first diode, a second diode, a first inductor, a second resistor, and a third capacitor; wherein a first end of the power input port is connected to one end of the first capacitor, one end of the second capacitor, a source of the first power tube, a second end and a third end of the first regulator; wherein the other end of the second capacitor is connected to a fourteenth end of the first regulator; wherein a six end of the first regulator is grounded via the thermistor; wherein an eighth end of the first regulator is grounded via the second resistor and the third capacitor in turn; wherein a grid of the first power tube is connected to a first end of the first regulator; wherein a drain of the first power tube is connected to an anode of the first diode; wherein a cathode of the first diode is connected to a cathode of the second diode and a first end of the first inductor; wherein a second end of the first inductor is connected to an eleventh end of the first regulator and to the first feedback module; wherein a second end of the power input port, the other end of the first capacitor, and a twelfth end and a thirteenth end of the first regulator are grounded; and wherein an anode of the second diode is grounded , in combination with the remaining limitations of independent claims
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARUN C WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-9765. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached on 571-272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARUN C WILLIAMS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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