DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on September 16th 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the references cited therein are considered by the examiner.
Priority
3. Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. CN 202310323539.X, filed on March 29th 2023.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Min et al. (CN 115580200 A; “Min”; refer to attached translation) in view of Matsumoto (US 2014/0132086).
Regarding claim 1, Min discloses a power tool (100), comprising:
a motor (20);
a power terminal (10) configured to access a power supply of a battery pack (pg. 4 para. 17);
a controller capable of detecting that a first circuit (401) between the power terminal (10) and the battery pack (pg. 4 para. 17) is in a power-on mode or a power-off mode (pg. 4 para. 8); and
the controller (30) capable of controlling a second circuit (402) between the power terminal (10) and the motor (20) to be in a power-on mode or a power-off mode (pg. 6 para. 1);
wherein the controller (30) is configured to, when the detection module detects that the first circuit is switched from the power-on mode to the power-off mode, control the second circuit to be in the power-off mode within a first preset time (pg. 6 para. 1).
Min fails to disclose a detection module.
However, Matsumoto teaches a detection module (21).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the controller of Min with the detection module of Matsumoto, in order to detect a parameter related to the on/off function of the tool (para. [0037]).
Regarding claim 2, Min discloses wherein the controller (30) is configured to, when said controller detects, within the first preset time, that the first circuit (401) is in the power-on mode again, control the second circuit (402) to be in the power-off mode within the first preset time (pg. 6 para. 1).
Min fails to disclose the detection module.
However, Matsumoto teaches a detection module (21).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the controller of Min with the detection module of Matsumoto, in order to detect a parameter related to the on/off function of the tool (para. [0037]).
Regarding claim 4, Min discloses further comprising an operation switch capable of controlling the second circuit (402) to be in the power-on mode or the power-off mode (pg. 6 para. 1), wherein the controller (30) controls the second circuit (402) to be in the power-off mode when the operation switch is in an off state (pg. 6 para. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Min discloses wherein the controller (30) is configured to, when the operation switch is in the on state within the first preset time and said controller detects, within the first preset time, that the first circuit (401) is in the power-on mode again, control the second circuit (402) to be in the power-off mode within the first preset time (pg. 6 para. 1).
However, Matsumoto teaches a detection module (21).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the controller of Min with the detection module of Matsumoto, in order to detect a parameter related to the on/off function of the tool (para. [0037]).
Regarding claim 8 Min disclose wherein the controller (30) is configured to, when the operation switch is switched from the off state to the on state within the first preset time and said controller detects, within the first preset time, that the first circuit (401) is in the power-on mode again, control the second circuit (402) to be in the power-off mode within the first preset time (pg. 6 para. 1).
Min fails to disclose a detection module.
However, Matsumoto teaches a detection module (21).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the controller of Min with the detection module of Matsumoto, in order to detect a parameter related to the on/off function of the tool (para. [0037]).
Regarding claim 14, Min discloses wherein the battery pack is plugged to the power tool (100; pg. 4 para. 17), the first circuit (401) is in the power-on mode when the battery pack is plugged to the power tool (100; pg. 4 para. 17), and the first circuit (401) is in the power-off mode when the battery pack is pulled out of the power tool (100; pg. 4 para. 17).
Regarding claim 20, Min discloses a power-off protection method of a power tool (100) comprised of a motor (20), a power terminal (10) configured to access a power supply of a battery pack (pg. 4 para. 17), a controller (30) capable of detecting that a first circuit (401) between the power terminal (10) and the battery pack is in a power-on mode or a power-off mode (pg. 4 para. 8), and said controller (30) capable of controlling a second circuit (402) between the power terminal (10) and the motor (20) to be in a power-on mode or a power-off mode (pg. 6 para. 1), the method comprising:
when the controller detects that the first circuit (401) is switched from the power-on mode to the power-off mode (pg. 6 para. 1), controlling by the controller (30) the second circuit (402) to be in the power-off mode within a first preset time (pg. 6 para. 1).
Min fails to disclose a detection module.
However, Matsumoto teaches a detection module (21).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the controller of Min with the detection module of Matsumoto, in order to detect a parameter related to the on/off function of the tool (para. [0037]).
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 16-19 are allowed.
Regarding claim 16, Min et al. (CN 115580200 A; “Min”; refer to attached translation) in view of Matsumoto (US 2014/0132086) are the most relevant prior art.
Min discloses a power tool (100), comprising:
a motor (20);
a power terminal (10) configured to access a power supply of a battery pack (pg. 4 para. 17);
a controller capable of detecting that a first circuit (401) between the power terminal (10) and the battery pack (pg. 4 para. 17) is in a power-on mode or a power-off mode (pg. 4 para. 8); and
the controller (30) capable of controlling a second circuit (402) between the power terminal (10) and the motor (20) to be in a power-on mode or a power-off mode (pg. 6 para. 1);
wherein the controller (30) is configured to, when the detection module detects that the first circuit is switched from the power-on mode to the power-off mode, control the second circuit to be in the power-off mode within a first preset time.
Min fails to disclose a detection module.
However, Matsumoto teaches a detection module (21).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the controller of Min with the detection module of Matsumoto, in order to detect a parameter related to the on/off function of the tool (para. [0037]).
Min in view of Matsumoto fail to disclose the controller configured to when the detection module detects that the first circuit is switched from the power-on mode to the power-off mode, control the second circuit to be in the power-off mode if a time when the first circuit is in the power-off mode before the switchover does not exceed a first preset time.
It would not have been obvious to modify Min in view of Matsumoto with the aforementioned limitation because the control of Min is done without a switchover. Applying a switchover would require a reconfiguration of the controller code.
6. Claims 3, 5, 7, 9-13 and 15 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.
Regarding claim 3, Min et al. (CN 115580200 A; “Min”; refer to attached translation) in view of Matsumoto (US 2014/0132086) are the most relevant prior art.
Min discloses wherein the controller (30) is configured to, when the detection module detects, outside the first preset time, that the first circuit is in the power-on mode, control the second circuit to be in the power-on mode.
Min in view of Matsumoto fail to disclose the detecting outside the first preset time.
It would not have been obvious to modify Min in view of Matsumoto with the aforementioned limitation because the detection module is only capable of detecting within the preset time, not outside of it.
Regarding claim 5, Min et al. (CN 115580200 A; “Min”; refer to attached translation) in view of Matsumoto (US 2014/0132086) are the most relevant prior art.
Min discloses the second circuit (402) to be in the power-off mode or the power-on mode.
Min fails to disclose further comprising an operation switch capable of controlling the second circuit to be in the power-on mode or the power-off mode, wherein the second circuit is in the power-off mode when the operation switch is in an off state, and the controller controls the second circuit to be in the power-on mode or the power-off mode when the operation switch is in an on state.
It would not have been obvious to modify Min with the aforementioned limitation because Min utilizes the controller to control the second circuit. The operation switch would be a redundancy.
Regarding claim 9, Min et al. (CN 115580200 A; “Min”; refer to attached translation) in view of Matsumoto (US 2014/0132086) are the most relevant prior art.
Min discloses the battery pack.
Matsumoto teaches the detection module.
Min view of Matsumoto fail to disclose further comprising a communication terminal configured to perform data communication with the battery pack, wherein the detection module is capable of detecting whether a level of the communication terminal varies.
It would not have been obvious to modify Min in view of Matsumoto with the aforementioned limitation because it would require reconfiguring the tool to place a communication terminal. This would render the tool inoperable.
Regarding claim 13, Min et al. (CN 115580200 A; “Min”; refer to attached translation) in view of Matsumoto (US 2014/0132086) are the most relevant prior art.
Min view if Matsumoto disclose the detection module.
Min view of Matsumoto fail to disclose the detection module is also capable of detecting a back electromotive force.
It would not have been obvious to modify Min view of Matsumoto with the aforementioned limitation because this would require reconfiguring the tool to accommodate the electromotive force detection.
Regarding claim 15, Min et al. (CN 115580200 A; “Min”; refer to attached translation) in view of Matsumoto (US 2014/0132086) are the most relevant prior art.
Matsumoto discloses the preset time.
Matsumoto fails to disclose the coast time.
It would not have been obvious to modify Min in view of Matsumoto with the aforementioned limitation because applying a coast time less than the preset time of Min would not give the tool of Min enough time to transition to the controlled state.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EYAMINDAE JALLOW whose telephone number is (571)270-1927. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 7:30am-5:00pm and alternating Fridays from 7:30am-4:00pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, SHELLEY SELF, can be reached on (571)272-4524. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571)273-8300.
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/EYAMINDAE C JALLOW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731