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 .
2. This communication is in response to the Application No. 18/507,698 filed on 11/13/23. Claims 1 – 10 has been examined.
Drawings
3. The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: Fig. 4 mentions reference 63 which is not shown in Fig. 4. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
4. Specification is objected to minor informalities. It seems that the applicant submitted replacement drawings on 11/29/23 renumbering the Fig. 4A to Fig. 4. However, specification still refers to Fig. 4 as Fig. 4A. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
6. 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.
7. Claim(s) 1 – 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fathollahi et al. (US 2015/0194833, Fathollahi hereafter).
Regarding claim 1, Fathollahi teaches A protective case, comprising:
a front housing (Top portion or right portion of Fig. 4) having a front surface (a side protector or bumper portion 12, paragraph 48; fig. 4), a back surface (a side protector or bumper portion 12, paragraph 48; fig. 4), a plurality of walls (The bumper portion 12 may comprise a first side or end 81 and a second side or end 82 opposite the first end 81. The bumper portion 12 may also have a third side 83 opposite a fourth side 84. The bumper may also have an inner surface 85 and an outer surface 86, paragraph 49, Fig. 4) and a central opening (the opening or the central portion inside all walls; Fig. 4, paragraph 48 – 49);
a main body (bottom portion or the base portion 20 of Fig. 4; paragraph 54) having a front surface (an inside panel 25, paragraph 54, Fig. 4), a back surface (back side of the base portion 20; further details are shown in Fig. 5), and a plurality of walls that extend above the front surface (each sides of the base or bottom portion; Fig. 4; 29, 26 which extends above from the front surface; Fig. 4; paragraph 54); and
a communication panel (communication panel as in the back of the case which has a bluetooth module inside, 410 of Fig. 13; which is a is a block diagram illustrating circuitry of the auxiliary power supply contained within the protective case) that is positioned along the back surface of the main body (as shown in Fig. 13, it is the back portion of the back surface of the main body; FIG. 13 is a block diagram of control circuitry 400 that can reside in the battery case 10, paragraph 100), said communication panel being configured to communicate with at least one removable module (in communication with removable battery 40, Fig. 13; paragraph 109; The battery aperture 22 may comprise a detent 23 shaped in a semi hemispherical fashion to allow a user to easily remove a battery 40 from the battery aperture 22; paragraph 66),
wherein the front housing and the main body include a shape and a size that is complementary to a shape and a size of a portable electronic device (The case 10 can be generally shaped to contain and protect a mobile device (e.g. an iPhone.RTM.). When placed inside of a case, the mobile device (FIGS. 6C and 6D) desirably fits snugly, paragraph 48),
wherein the front housing and the main body are configured to removably engage each other and the portable electronic device to form a protective shell about the portable electronic device (as shown in Fig. 4, the front housing and main body can be removed or removably engage each other and the portable electronic device such as iPhone, paragraph 47 – 49, 54).
Regarding claim 2, The device of claim 1, further comprising: a system controller (MCU; 415 of Fig. 13) that is positioned along the main body and is in communication with the communication panel (Thus, when battery case 10 is connected to source of electric current through charging cable 1010, current is always supplied to the connected mobile device, and when the mobile device is drawing a reduced amount of current, indicative of a charged battery, battery 40 of battery case is then charged. Control circuitry 400 also comprises a microcontroller 415, which controls battery charging device 406, paragraph 102).
Regarding claim 3, The device of claim 2, further comprising: a communication port that extends from the communication panel (a plug 28, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 4, The device of claim 3, wherein the communication port is configured to communicate with the portable electronic device to exchange at least one of power or electronic signals (a plug 28, Fig. 4; as shown in Fig. 6B, as shown in FIG. 6B, the user may attach a mobile device 1060 to the base portion 20 by connecting a mobile device 1060 to the plug 28; paragraph 79).
Regarding claim 5, The device of claim 4, wherein the system controller includes functionality for communicating with the portable electronic device via the communication panel and the communication port (as shown in Fig. 4, 6D and also as shown in Fig. 13 the MCU is coupled with lightning connector 405; paragraph 101).
Regarding claim 6, The device of claim 5, wherein the system controller is configured to receive operating instructions from the portable electronic device (Microcontroller 415 controls the various circuitry of control circuitry 400 as follows. Software application running on the mobile device preferably operates as a background process. While running, the software application obtains information regarding the condition of the battery internal to the mobile device that is available, e.g., through APIs in the operating system. Such information typically is comprised of the amount of charge remaining on the mobile device's internal battery, although other information can also be collected as well, paragraph 108).
Regarding claim 7, The device of claim 2, wherein the system controller includes a wireless transceiver (the software application may determine that the battery of the mobile device needs to be charged. When the software application makes this determination, it causes the Bluetooth module of the mobile device to send appropriate signals, over the Bluetooth piconet, to the Bluetooth module 410 of the battery case 10. These instructions are typically communicated from the software application via Bluetooth APIs of the operating system of the mobile device. Bluetooth module 410 communicates this information to microcontroller 41, paragraph 108).
Regarding claim 8, The device of claim 7, wherein the system controller includes functionality for communicating with the portable electronic device via the wireless transceiver (the software application may determine that the battery of the mobile device needs to be charged. When the software application makes this determination, it causes the Bluetooth module of the mobile device to send appropriate signals, over the Bluetooth piconet, to the Bluetooth module 410 of the battery case 10. These instructions are typically communicated from the software application via Bluetooth APIs of the operating system of the mobile device. Bluetooth module 410 communicates this information to microcontroller 41, paragraph 108).
Regarding claim 9, The device of claim 8, wherein the system controller is configured to receive operating instructions from the portable electronic device (Microcontroller 415 controls the various circuitry of control circuitry 400 as follows. Software application running on the mobile device preferably operates as a background process. While running, the software application obtains information regarding the condition of the battery internal to the mobile device that is available, e.g., through APIs in the operating system. Such information typically is comprised of the amount of charge remaining on the mobile device's internal battery, although other information can also be collected as well, paragraph 108).
Regarding claim 10, The device of claim 2, wherein the at least one removable module comprises a power bank module that is removably connected to the main body (The case includes an additional power source (i.e., a battery) that can supply electric current to the mobile device, Abstract, Fig. 4 – 5).
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TANMAY K SHAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3624. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri - 8:00 - 5:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chieh Fan can be reached at 571-272-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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TANMAY K. SHAH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2632
/TANMAY K SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632