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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 11 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller et al. (US 2015/0333666) in view of Bearfield (US 6,268,711, CITED BY APPLICANT).
Regarding claim 1, Miller et al. teaches a power supply control circuit, comprising in (see fig. 4):
a main control chip module (430) connected to at least two battery packs (410s);
at least two control circuits (446, 470, 452s) connected in parallel with each other, wherein an input end of the control circuit (446, 470, 452) is connected to the main control chip module and an output end of the control circuit is provided on a power supply path from the battery pack to a power tool to control a connection and disconnection of the battery packs via switches (452s); and
a the control circuit based on feedback from theand control a currently connected battery pack to be disconnected and select another battery pack to be connected when the
Miller et al. fails to teach a sensor (detection means) which can have voltage detection capabilities for sending a feedback to a control unit (module).
Bearfield teaches a battery manager with batteries connected in parallel wherein a power monitor unit in (see fig. 1, page 5) which can determine voltage and/or current parameters which can be used in determining which battery to activate and also, batteries can be chosen based on determined parameters in (see page 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Bearfield into that of Miller et al. thus making it possible to determine operation status of a battery to disconnect/connect batteries to supply sufficient power to a motor of power tool to avoid undervoltage, undercurrent, overvoltage or overcurrent to maintain operation of the tool.
Regarding claim 11, Miller et al. teaches a power tool provided with a power supply control circuit, wherein the power supply control circuit in (see fig. 4) comprises:
a main control chip module (430) connected to at least two battery packs;
at least two control circuits (446, 470, 452s) connected in parallel with each other, wherein an input end of the control circuit is connected to the main control chip module, and an output end of the control circuit is provided on a power supply path from the battery pack to the power tool to control a connection and disconnection of the battery packs;
a detection circuit(448, para 0059) , wherein an input end of the detection circuit is connected to the power supply path from the battery pack to the power tool, and an output end of the detection circuit is connected to the main control chip module; and
a drive circuit module (462) connected to the main control chip module and the battery pack respectively, wherein the drive circuit module is also connected to a motor to drive the motor (420) after the battery pack is connected,
wherein the main control chip module is configured to control the connection and disconnection of the battery packs through the control circuit based on feedback from the detection circuit, and control a currently connected battery pack to be disconnected and select another battery pack to be connected when the voltage detection circuit detects that a voltage of the currently connected battery pack is less than a predetermined value. (see para 0038, for instance).
Miller et al. fails to teach a sensor (detection means) which can have voltage detection capabilities for sending a feedback to a control unit (module).
Bearfield teaches a battery manager with batteries connected in parallel wherein a power monitor unit in (see fig. 1, page 5) which can determine voltage and/or current parameters which can be used in determining which battery to activate and also, batteries can be chosen based on determined parameters in (see page 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Bearfield into that of Miller et al. thus making it possible to determine operation status of a battery to disconnect/connect batteries to supply sufficient power to a motor of power tool to avoid undervoltage, undercurrent, overvoltage or overcurrent to maintain operation of the tool.
Regarding claim 15, see the explanation as set forth in claim 11 incorporated in a power tool.
Claim(s) 2, 9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller et al. (US 2015/0333666) in view of Bearfield (US 6,268,711) and further in view of Tan et al. (US 2011/0163723).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, The combination fails to teach a control circuit comprising wherein the control circuit includes an activation circuit, a trigger circuit, and a switch circuit sequentially connected in series, and the activation circuit is connected to the main control chip module such that the main control chip module controls the activation circuit to be turned on to activate the trigger circuit to drive the switch circuit to control a connection state of the battery pack.
Tan et al. teaches a battery unit for a power tool with a control unit comprising trigger unit, activation unit and switching unit (102, 190, 120).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Tan into the combination thus making it possible control the operation of a power tool by applying control circuits to connect and/or disconnect elements of the power tool.
Regarding claim 9, see the explanation as set forth claim 2. The combination teaches a drive unit (see Miller et al., 462 of fig. 4). Tan teaches a startup circuit (190) connected to the battery pack and the main control chip module, wherein the startup circuit supplies power to the main control chip module and a drive circuit module after the startup circuit receives a triggering signal from the outside (102 of Tan et al.) and a driving signal from the main control chip module.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller et al. (US 2015/0333666) in view of Bearfield (US 6,268,711) and further in view of Li (US 2011/0084667).
Regarding claim 10, The combination fails to teach further comprising a filtering circuit, wherein the filtering circuit includes a capacitor and a resistor connected in parallel, and a positive electrode of the capacitor is connected to a main circuit of the battery pack.
Li teaches a battery management system in (see fig. 2) wherein a filter is coupled to a driver circuit and control means with details of the filter circuit given in (see fig. 4) wherein a capacitor (364) is coupled in parallel to resistor (362) with a positive electrode.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Li into the combination thus making it possible to filter noise, unwanted signals and to control the operation of the load.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8 and 13-14 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.
Claim 2: if amended as follows wherein each of the control circuit includes an activation circuit, a trigger circuit, and a switch circuit sequentially connected in series, and the activation circuit is connected to the main control chip module such that the main control chip module controls the activation circuit to be turned on to activate the trigger circuit to drive the switch circuit to control a connection state of the battery pack via a feedback loop, would overcome the rejection and receive favorable consideration if incorporated into claim 1 even though further search may be required.
Conclusion
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/REXFORD N BARNIE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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