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.
Claims 1 and 3-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fusselman (10,468,833).
Regarding claim 1, Fussellman discloses a small outlet, comprising:
a bridge portion (P, Fig. 10) comprising a set of prongs (100 and 102, Fig. 10) that are inserted into an existing outlet (18, Figs. 1 and 10) of an electrical receptacle (10); and
a controlled outlet (19, Fig. 1) that is connected to the bridge portion via a controllable switch (70, Fig. 10);
wherein the controlled outlet is wall-mounted adjacent to the electrical receptacle; and
wherein electrical connection between the controlled outlet and the existing outlet is controllable via the controllable outlet.
Regarding claim 3, Fig. 10 shows an electrical connectivity path (78) between a prong (102) comprised in the bridge portion and a portion of the switched outlet.
Regarding claim 4, Fig. 10 shows the prong comprised in the bridge portion comprises a high voltage prong inserted into the existing outlet.
Regarding claim 5, the portion of the controlled outlet comprises a high voltage contact.
Regarding claim 6, the high voltage contact comprised in the controlled outlet is configured to receive a plug prong (not shown).
Regarding claim 7, Fig. 10 shows the controllable switch is inline of the electrical connectivity path between the prong comprised in the bridge portion and the portion of the controlled outlet.
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.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fusselman in view of Johnson et. (8,564,279).
Regarding claim 8, Fusselman discloses the claimed invention as described above except for a microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is configured to control the controllable switch that is inline of the electrical connectivity path.
Johnson et al., Fig. 8 shows a microcontroller (808). It would have been obvious to modify Fusselman to have the microcontroller, as taught by Johnson et al. for better connection.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1and 3-8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 05/17/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
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