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 .
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) 1,2, 10 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SU (CN 213213166U from Third Party Submissions of 8-13-25).
With regard to claim 1, SU discloses an output control circuit (para 0001), comprising: a power supply end configured to be connected with a power supply module (see Fig. 1 and paras 0019,0022 and 0023); a load end configured to be connected with an external load device (para 0001); and a first protection module, the power supply end being electrically connected with the load end through the first protection module (para 0019); wherein the first protection module is configured to disconnect an electrical connection between the power supply end and the load end or limit a current, based on a power supply state of the power supply module supplying power to the external load device (see para 0024).
With regard to claim 19, SU discloses a start power supply (para 0001), comprising: a first housing (para 0019); a power supply module; and an output control circuit, wherein the output control circuit comprises: a power supply end (fig. 1) configured to be connected with a power supply module (para 0022); a load end configured to be connected with an external load device (para 0019); and a first protection module 3, the power supply end being electrically connected with the load end through the first protection module; wherein the first protection module is configured to disconnect an electrical connection between the power supply end and the load end or limit a current, based on a power supply state of the power module supplying power to the load device; wherein the power supply module and at least part of the output control circuit are disposed in the first housing (para 0019); and the power supply end of the output control circuit is configured to be connected with the power supply module of the start power supply (para 0022).
With regard to claims 2 and 10, SU discloses that in the event of a short circuit or overload (current being a power supply parameter), it can effectively limit and protect the engine starting power supply circuit, and when the fault is eliminated, the conductive path will be re-formed, thereby completing the protection of the engine starting power supply circuit (para 0024).
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.
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) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GUO (CN204131171U from Third Party Submission of 8-13-25) in view of SU (CN 213213166U from Third Party Submission of 8-13-25).
GUO discloses a battery clip (para 0001), comprising; a second housing 8 (para 0014); a power supply input interface 1 disposed on the second housing 8 and configured to be connected with a power supply module. GUO differs from the claim by not being said to include an output control circuit, comprising: a power supply end configured to be connected with a power supply module; a load end configured to be connected with an external load device; and a first protection module, the power supply end being electrically connected with the load end through the first protection module; wherein the first protection module is configured to disconnect an electrical connection between the power supply end and the load end or limit a current, based on a power supply state of the power supply module supplying power to the external load device.
SU discloses an output control circuit (para 0001), comprising: a power supply end configured to be connected with a power supply module (see Fig. 1 and paras 0019,0022 and 0023); a load end configured to be connected with an external load device (para 0001); and a first protection module, the power supply end being electrically connected with the load end through the first protection module (para 0019); wherein the first protection module is configured to disconnect an electrical connection between the power supply end and the load end or limit a current, based on a power supply state of the power supply module supplying power to the external load device (see para 0024), wherein at least part of the output control circuit is disposed in the second housing; and the power supply interface, and be connected with the power supply module through the power supply interface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to combine the teachings of GUO and SU to meet the claim because both teachings are related by being power control devices used with automotive battery supplied power systems, with SU teaching a useful protection circuit module to prevent unsafe current flows when system elements are electrically connected.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9 and 11-18 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: The above mentioned claims recite additional features, such as the power supply duration limitations of claim 3, that have not been taught or been fairly suggested by the prior art of record.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN W JACKSON whose telephone number is (571)272-2051. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30-3:00.
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SWJackson
February 19, 2026
/STEPHEN W JACKSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838