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 .
Applicant’s response dated 6/16/26 is acknowledged and entered. Claims 1-10 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, 6 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Duan (US 2019/0322193, previously cited).1 Regarding claim 1, Duan teaches a power system comprising: a first battery pack having a first end and a second end, and having a first battery capacity (paragraph 0038: high voltage battery pack 12); a second battery pack having a third end and a fourth end, wherein the third end is coupled to the second end of the first battery pack and provides a low battery voltage, the fourth end is grounded, the second battery pack has a second battery capacity, and the second battery capacity is greater than the first battery capacity (paragraph 0039: low voltage battery 22);2 and a power management circuit coupled to the second battery pack to receive the low battery voltage, and to provide a component operating voltage to an electronic component based on the low battery voltage (paragraph 0039). Regarding claim 6, Duan teaches a voltage regulating circuit coupled between the third end of the second battery pack and the power management circuit, and configured to transmit the low battery voltage to the power management circuit (paragraph 0035). Regarding claim 9, Duan teaches the electronic component comprises at least one of a controller and a communication circuit (paragraph 0053).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 7-8 and 10 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/16/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the cited art fails to disclose all limitations of the claims. Applicant’s Remarks, pages 2-4. In particular, Applicant argues that Duan fails to disclose “the second battery capacity is greater than the first battery capacity.” Id. at 2. Applicant alleges that “Duan does not disclose any capacity relationship between the high voltage battery pack 12 and the low voltage battery 22.” Id. However, Duan discloses a voltage capacity relationship between the high voltage battery and the low voltage battery. The claims do not specify what the particular type of capacity is. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Since Duan teaches a high voltage capacity and low voltage capacity battery, Duan discloses the second battery capacity is greater than the first battery capacity.” Duan thus anticipates the claim.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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 - 9:30 AM ET, the Examiner is on central time.3
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas K Pham can be reached at 571-272-3689. 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 See also additional discussion below.
3 The Examiner can also be reached at matthew.mikels@uspto.gov.
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