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 .
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.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 3/16/2021. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the 202120545786.0 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/15/2023 and 12/23/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Para. [0074] recites “an electric oven” twice, i.e. “such as an electric oven, an electric oven, an electric refrigerator…”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 10 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 10 and 11 contain(s) acronyms, however does not provide the full names. If the applicant is to claim the acronym, the full name should be referenced at least once within the claims in parentheses (e.g. alternating current (AC), direct current (DC)).
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-10, 12-17, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sultenfuss et al. (US 2019/0073012).
With respect to claims 1 and 13, Sultenfuss et al. discloses a primary energy-storage-apparatus, comprising a main controller (240), a first energy-storage-group (174), a power-supply-interface (230_1), and an auxiliary machine-interface (242), wherein the auxiliary machine-interface is connectable to an auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus (171), and the power-supply-interface is connectable to an electronic device (100); and the main controller is configured to control the first energy-storage-group or the auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus to power the electronic device when the auxiliary machine-interface is connected to the auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus ([0038], [0077], [0080], [0087]; Figs. 1, 2 and 3A).
With respect to claims 2 and 14, Sultenfuss et al. discloses the first energy-storage-group comprises at least one of a first battery group or a first capacitor group ([0059]).
With respect to claim 3, Sultenfuss et al. discloses the main controller is configured to control the first energy-storage-group or the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus to power the electronic device when the first auxiliary machine-interface is connected to the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus ([0067]).
With respect to claims 4 and 15, Sultenfuss et al. discloses the primary energy-storage-apparatus further comprises a charging input interface (146) connectable to a power supply, and the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus comprises a second energy-storage-group (171); and the main controller is further configured to charge the first energy-storage-group or the second energy-storage-group via the power supply when the charging input interface is connected to the power supply ([0014]).
With respect to claim 5 and 16, Sultenfuss et al. discloses the main controller configured to charge the first energy-storage-group or the second energy-storage-group via the power supply is configured to: charge the first energy-storage-group when a remaining energy of the first energy-storage-group is less than a predetermined value; and charge the second energy-storage-group when the remaining energy of the first energy-storage-group is greater than or equal to the predetermined value and a remaining energy of the second energy-storage-group is less than the predetermined value ([0004], [0013], [0014]).
With respect to claims 6 and 17, Sultenfuss et al. discloses the main controller configured to control the first energy-storage-group or the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus to power the electronic device is configured to: control an energy-storage-group of the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus to power the electronic device when a remaining energy of the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus is greater than a first threshold value; and control the first energy-storage-group to power the electronic device when the remaining energy of the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus is less than the first threshold value and a remaining energy of the first energy-storage-group is greater than a second threshold value ([0005], [0006], [0008], [0011], [0015]).
With respect to claim 8 and 19, Sultenfuss et al. discloses the primary energy-storage-apparatus further comprises a first communication module, and the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus further comprises a second communication module; and the main controller is configured to communicate with the second communication module through the first communication module when the first auxiliary machine-interface is connected to the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus ([0060]-[0098]).
With respect to claims 9 and 20, Sultenfuss et al. discloses the main controller comprises a main control board and a battery management system (170-2), wherein the main control board is connected to the first energy-storage-group through the battery management system ([0056], [0077]).
With respect to claims 10 and 12, Sultenfuss et al. discloses the at least one power-supply-interface comprises at least one of: at least one direct-current (DC) power-supply-interface or at least one alternating-current (AC) power-supply-interface ([0069], [0072], [0080], Fig. 3A).
Claim(s) 1, 7, 8, 13, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bhagwan (US 11394215).
With respect to claim 1 and 13, Bhagwan discloses a primary energy-storage-apparatus, comprising a main controller (840), a first energy-storage-group (850), a power-supply-interface (845), and an auxiliary machine-interface (855), wherein the auxiliary machine-interface is connectable to an auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus (860), and the power-supply-interface is connectable to an electronic device (805, 835); and the main controller is configured to control the first energy-storage-group or the auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus to power the electronic device when the auxiliary machine-interface is connected to the auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus (col. 16, line 11 – col. 17, line 47; Fig. 8).
With respect to claims 7 and 18, Bhagwan discloses a second auxiliary machine-interface (865) connectable to a second auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus (870), wherein the main controller is configured to control the first energy-storage-group to power the electronic device when a remaining energy of the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus and a remaining energy of the second auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus are both less than a first threshold value and a remaining energy of the first energy-storage-group is greater than a second threshold value (thresholds are inherent to determining depletion of the auxiliary batteries and enough charge for the main battery to take over) (col. 16, line 11 – col. 17, line 47; col. 21, lines 26-35; Fig. 8).
With respect to claims 8 and 19, Bhagwan discloses the primary energy-storage-apparatus further comprises a first communication module (820), and the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus further comprises a second communication module (875); and the main controller is configured to communicate with the second communication module through the first communication module when the first auxiliary machine-interface is connected to the first auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus (col. 16, line 43 - col. 17, line 33).
Claim(s) 1 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Stacey et al. (US 2018/0006470).
With respect to claim 1, Stacey et al. discloses a primary energy-storage-apparatus, comprising a main controller (36), a first energy-storage-group (12), a power-supply-interface (33), and an auxiliary machine-interface (110, 108, 76), wherein the auxiliary machine-interface is connectable to an auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus (12’), and the power-supply-interface is connectable to an electronic device (power devices, e.g. TV, power tools, stereos, fans, laptops); and the main controller is configured to control the first energy-storage-group or the auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus to power the electronic device when the auxiliary machine-interface is connected to the auxiliary energy-storage-apparatus ([0048]-[0050], [0069], [0071], Fig 16).
With respect to claim 11, Stacey et al. discloses the primary energy-storage-apparatus further comprises an inverter and an AC power-supply-interface, and a main control board of the main controller is connected to the AC power-supply-interface through the inverter ([0064], [0067], [0069]).
Telephone/Fax Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUEZU ELLIS whose telephone number is (571)272-2868. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 10:30 am - 6:30 pm EST.
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, Thomas 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SUEZU ELLIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876