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 Objections
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 13, line 2 recites, “a frequency adjustment circuit”, which should be corrected to “the frequency adjustment circuit” to have proper antecedent basis. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the molded case circuit breaker" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 12-15 has similar recitations and similarly rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 1-5, 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Singh et al. (US 2018/0194284) in view of Kuan (US 10,056,213).
Regarding Claim 1, Singh discloses an intelligent protection switch system (Figures 1-9H) comprises:
a housing (comprising housing of 30, Figures 1-2, 30, 60, Figures 6-7); and
a non-power/battery controller assembled in the housing (comprising 30, Figures 1-2, 5-8, Paragraph 24, “…The remote control unit 30 is typically powered by a battery 31 (FIG. 5)…”); and a wireless receiving module (comprising 20, Figures 1-2, 7, 3A-3G, 40, Figures 4A-4F,80, Figures 9A-9H), wherein:
the non-power/battery controller comprises:
button assembled on the housing (comprising 32 on the housing of 30, Figure 2, 32, 66/68, Figures 6-7); and a first control circuit (30, Figures 5, 60 including microprocessor, Figure 8, Paragraph 29);
wherein the first control circuit is a digital circuit chip (Figures 5, 8), and is provided with a power loop circuit (Figures 5, 8) and an on-off digital signal by programmable logic (Paragraph 29, “…the smartphone app is particularly advantageous as it provides for the programming of custom warnings, alerts, sounds, vibrations, audible or visual cues, and other notifications 72 upon the occurrence of certain events. For example, an alert may be programmed to notify the smartphone user when one or more of the auxiliary light circuits 38 are inadvertently left in an energized state…”);
the power loop circuit has at least an input contact terminal (terminal in Figure 5 receiving input from button 32);
the circuit loop of the first control circuit forms a closed loop, which generates an induced current and transmits the on-off digital signal (Paragraph 24, “…The remote control unit 30 is typically powered by a battery 31 (FIG. 5) and provided with a series of controls corresponding to at least one of the energization, de-energization, and dimming, of at least one of the auxiliary lights 12. The controls optionally include buttons 32, indicators 34, and/or control labels 36 corresponding to control of the auxiliary lights 12….”); and
the wireless receiving module is assembled on an electrical equipment (20 arranged on 10, Figure 1), and comprises a second control circuit and a router (part of control hub 20 including transmitter/receiver, Figure 2), wherein the second control circuit is designed by programmable logic, is a receiving circuit for receiving the on-off digital signal of the first control circuit, and is connected with the router (Figures 1-2, 3B, 4B); the router is arranged to receive the on-off digital signal of the first control circuit and transmit the on-off digital signal to the second control circuit to control the on-off state of the power loop of the electrical equipment (Paragraph 22, “….the control hub 20 is designed to control the energization, de-energization, and/or dimming of each of the auxiliary vehicle lights 12. The control hub 20 also includes a system shut down function or program 25, configured to de-energize the auxiliary lightings 12. The shut down function or program 25 is preferably a software routine, program or component, programmed into and controlled by a processor/microcontroller 26 (FIG. 3B) of the control hub 20…”).
Singh does not specifically disclose the details to include at least one bracket assembled on the housing, an electromagnetic induction coil and first and second magnetic plates assembled on the bracket; and a linkage guide plate assembled in the housing in a pressable state, wherein a pressable end of the linkage guide plate is kept a distance from one end of the first and second magnetic plates, and once the pressable end of the linkage guide plate is pressed, it communicates with the first and second magnetic plates; and wherein the first and second magnetic plates are connected with the electromagnetic induction coil, the input contact terminal is communicated with the first and second magnetic plates, when the linkage guide plate is communicated with the first and second magnetic plates.
Kuan discloses a protection switch system (10, Figures 1-11) comprising a housing (comprising 11, Figures 1-2) and a button assembly assembled on the housing (comprising 142/141, Figures 1-2), the button assembly comprising at least one bracket assembled on the housing (comprising 111, Figures 1-2), an electromagnetic induction coil (121/12, Figures 1-2) and first and second magnetic plates assembled on the bracket (137, Figures 1-2); and a linkage guide plate assembled in the housing in a pressable state (122/12, Figures 1-2), wherein a pressable end of the linkage guide plate is kept a distance from one end of the first and second magnetic plates (end 124 of 122, Figure 1), and once the pressable end of the linkage guide plate is pressed, it communicates with the first and second magnetic plates (Column 2, lines 2-16); and wherein the first and second magnetic plates are connected with the electromagnetic induction coil, an input contact terminal is communicated with the first and second magnetic plates, when the linkage guide plate is communicated with the first and second magnetic plates (Figures 1-2. Column 2, lines 2-16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the intelligent protection switch system of Singh, the details input signal receiving structure/button press assembly as taught by Kuan to safely complete power loop circuitry upon receiving the user input.
Regarding Claim 2, combination of Singh and Kuan discloses the intelligent protection switch system according to Claim 1, wherein the second control circuit is further connected with a data storage, which is connected with the second control circuit and connected with a terminal device being one of a mobile phone, tablet and desktop through network, and is arranged to store and monitoring startup and shutdown messages of the power loop of the electric equipment, so as to directly control startup or shutdown of the power loop of the electric equipment through the terminal device through the router (Figures 2, 3B, 5, Paragraph 24, “….To communicate with the control hub 20, the control system 14 additionally includes any combination of a transmitter/receiver or transceivers for wireless communication…”, Paragraphs 27-29, 32-34).
Regarding Claim 3, combination of Singh and Kuan discloses the intelligent protection switch system according to Claim 1, wherein the second control circuit is further connected with a frequency adjustment circuit, and the frequency adjustment circuit is arranged to set the operation power frequency of the power loop of a specific electric equipment (comprising 28 in 20, Figure 3B.
Regarding Claim 4, combination of Singh and Kuan discloses the intelligent protection switch system according to Claim 2, wherein the second control circuit is further connected with a relay circuit, and the relay circuit is arranged to modulate current within limitation of the power loop of a specific electric equipment (Figures 3B-3D, Paragraph 22, “….the control hub 20 is designed to control the energization, de-energization, and/or dimming of each of the auxiliary vehicle lights 12. The control hub 20 also includes …. a hardware circuit, such as a transistor, relay, mechanical switch, or the like…”).
Regarding Claim 5, combination of Singh and Kuan discloses the intelligent protection switch system according to Claim 1, wherein the first control circuit further comprises an alarm circuit, which is wirelessly connected with the data storage (Paragraphs 28-29, part of smartphone and smartphone app), and transmits an alarm signal once the data storage monitors that the power loop of the electric equipment is turned on or off (Paragraph 29, “…the smartphone app is particularly advantageous as it provides for the programming of custom warnings, alerts, sounds, vibrations, audible or visual cues, and other notifications 72 upon the occurrence of certain events. For example, an alert may be programmed to notify the smartphone user when one or more of the auxiliary light circuits 38 are inadvertently left in an energized state….”).
Regarding Claim 11, combination of Singh and Kuan discloses a socket for the intelligent protection switch system according to claim 1 (20 including 24, Figure 2, Paragraphs 20-21), wherein before the vehicle lighting system is wirelessly turned on or off, a frequency adjustment circuit (28, 20, Figure 3B) and a relay circuit (K1, Figure 5, RELAY, Figures 3C, 3D) are respectively arranged to adjust frequency and adjust current within limitation, and then the non-power/battery controller and the wireless receiving module are respectively arranged to wirelessly control turning on or off of the socket (Figures 2, 3B-3D, Paragraphs 22, 24).
Claims 12-15 recite the same limitations as Claim 11, except for the dependency to Claims 2-5 respectively. Therefore, Claims 12-15 are rejected for the same reasons as for Claim 11
Claims 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Singh et al. (US 2018/0194284) in view of Kuan (US 10,056,213) and Suzuki (US 2008/0128251).
Regarding Claim 6, combination of Singh and Kuan disclose a vehicle lighting system applicable to the intelligent protection switch system according to claim 1(20 controlling power-on or power-off lights 12, Figure 2, Paragraphs 20-21), wherein before the vehicle lighting system is wirelessly turned on or off, a frequency adjustment circuit (28, 20, Figure 3B) and a relay circuit (K1, Figure 5, RELAY, Figures 3C, 3D) are respectively arranged to adjust frequency and adjust current within limitation, and then the non-power/battery controller and the wireless receiving module are respectively arranged to wirelessly control turning on or off of the vehicle lighting system (Figures 2, 3B-3D, Paragraphs 22, 24).
Combination of Singh and Kuan does not specifically disclose a molded case circuit breaker applicable to the intelligent protection switch system according to claim 1.
Suzuki discloses a molded case circuit breaker applicable to an intelligent protection switch system (molded case circuit breaker 1 remotely operable by controller 30, Figures 1-2, Paragraphs 2, 36). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the combination intelligent protection switch system, in a molded case circuit breaker as taught by Suzuki are suited to take advantage of an intelligent power switch system.
Claims 7-10 recite the same limitations as Claim 6, except for the dependency to Claims 2-5 respectively. Therefore, Claims 7-10 are rejected for the same reasons as for Claim 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Freeman et al. (US 2020/0008050) discloses wireless communication enabled circuit breakers (200, Figure 2).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUCY M THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-6002. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Crystal L Hammond can be reached at (571)270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUCY M THOMAS/Examiner, Art Unit 2838, 2/25/2026
/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838