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 .
Response to Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of applicant’s amendment filed on November 5, 2023. Claims 14-20 have been added. Claim 3 have been canceled without prejudice. Claims 1, 2, 4-13 have been amended. Claims 1, 2, 4-20 are pending and an action on the merits is as follows.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: depending on a cancelled claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ono et al (US20220007743).
RE 1 Ono discloses A power supply apparatus unit for an aerosol generation device configured to operate in a sleep mode, comprising: a power supply; a first electric a heater connector configured to be connected to which a heater configured to heat an aerosol source by consuming power supplied from the power supply-is connected; a controller configured to control a supply of the power from the power supply to the heater; and a first electronic component configured to operate by a first accessory voltage generated from the power supply, wherein the first electronic component is separate and separating from the controller, wherein the first accessory voltage is not supplied to the first electronic component when the power supply apparatus unit operates in the sleep mode, wherein the first electronic component does not perform an active operation (par 208-215, Fig 4, 9, 10).
RE 2, further comprising: an accessory switch configured to supply the first accessory voltage to the first electronic component only when the accessory switch is turned on, wherein the controller is configured to control the accessory switch, and turns off the accessory switch when the power supply apparatus unit operates in the sleep mode (par 210-212).
RE 4, wherein the first electronic component includes a thermistor (par 193).
RE 6, wherein the controller is configured to operate by a system voltage generated from the power supply, the system voltage is also generated when the power supply apparatus unit operates in the sleep mode, while the first accessory voltage is not generated when the power supply apparatus-unit operates in the sleep mode, and a number of electronic components operating by the system voltage is greater than a number of electronic components operating by the first accessory voltage (par 210-215).
Re 7, wherein the controller is configured to operate by a system voltage generated from the power supply, and the first accessory voltage is generated from the system voltage (par 210-215).
RE 8, wherein a voltage value of the first accessory voltage is equal to a voltage value of the system voltage (par 208-210).
RE 9, further comprising: an accessory switch configured to supply the first accessory voltage to the first electronic component only when the accessory switch is turned on; and a system voltage line configured to supply the system voltage to the controller, wherein the accessory switch is connected to the system voltage line (par 208).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
Claims 5, 10-14 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: none of the cited prior art disclose, teach, suggest at least a thermistor configured to operate by a first accessory voltage generated from the rechargeable battery, wherein the thermistor is separate from the controller, wherein the first accessory voltage is not supplied to the thermistor when the power supply apparatus operates in a sleep mode.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christle I. Marshall whose telephone number is (571) 270-3086. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday 7:30AM - 4:00PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Paik can be reached on (571) 272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Christle I Marshall/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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