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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/19/2025 has been entered.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the elements such as a sensor as claimed in Claim 11, the elements claimed in Claim 16 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
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 (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 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 1-2, 6, 8,14-15, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Weinstein (US 5,939,799).
Regarding Claim 1, Weinstein (US 5,939,799) discloses a residual current circuit breaker (Figure 1), comprising:
a first switch (comprising 110/110A, 105/105A in 115, Figure 1), connected in series between a power supply of the residual current circuit breaker and a load (110/110A, 105/105A connected between power supply Input 101 and LOAD, Figure 1);
a second switch (comprising 110/110A, 106/10A in 115, Figure 1), connected in series between a standby power supply and the load (110/110A, 106/10A connected between a standby power supply 102 and LOAD, Figure 1); and
a control means (comprising 120, 111, Figure 1), configured to control to open the first switch and close the second switch based on detecting residual current of a main loop of the residual current circuit breaker exceeding a predetermined threshold (current detection signal 123 from the main current path 125 to low voltage detector 121, output signal 116 from 121 to switch actuator 111 to output 112 signal to the switches, Figure 1),
wherein a voltage of the standby power supply is higher than a lowest value of a voltage required for the load to operate and lower than a highest value of a safe voltage (standby power supply 102 and the power supply 101 are providing power for the safe operation of the same load and having the same voltage characteristics, Figure 1), and
wherein the first switch and the second switch are mutually exclusive (switches are part of automatic transfer switch 115, to connect to the power supply or the standby power supply at a time, Figure 1, Column 2, lines 47-61).
Regarding Claim 2, Weinstein discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 1, wherein the standby power supply is located outside the residual current circuit breaker (102 outside of 115, 120, Figure 1), and the residual current circuit breaker further comprises:
an external interface for connecting to the standby power supply (comprising 104, 104A, Figure 1), and wherein the second switch is connected between the external interface and the load (106/106A and 110/110A connected between 104/104A and LOAD, Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 6, Weinstein discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 1, wherein, the first switch, the second switch and the control means are provided by a dual power switch (110/110A, 105/105A, 106/106A part of ATS 115, Figure 1, Column 2, lines 47-61).
Regarding Claim 8, Weinstein discloses a system for residual current protection (Figure 1), comprising: a power supply (comprising 101, 102, Figure 1); a load (comprising LOAD, Figure 1); and the residual current circuit breaker according to claim 1 (as discussed in the rejection of Claim 1).
Regarding Claim 14, Weinstein discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 1, wherein the power supply flows into a terminal of the residual current circuit breaker via a bus (power supply flows via bus 103/103A, 104/104A from 101, 102 to 115, Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 15, Weinstein discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 1, wherein the load includes a power-consumption device having a wide voltage power supply (Column 4, lines 1-7, “….If the load requires a DC current, the DC current is extended over path 136 to the load. If the load requires an AC current, the DC current is extended from path 136 over path 170 to DC to AC converter 175 which is grounded by terminal 133. The load receives an AC current from DC to AC converter 175 over path 177. Terminal 133 grounds the load”).
Regarding Claim 18, Weinstein discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 6, wherein the dual power switch is an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) having a switch body operating as the first switch and the second switch (110/110A, 105/105A, 106/106A part of ATS 115, Figure 1, Column 2, lines 47-61).
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.
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 3-5, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weinstein (US 5,939,799) in view of Kelly (EP 3 065 280).
Regarding Claim 3, Weinstein does not specifically disclose the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 1, wherein, the standby power supply is located inside the residual current circuit breaker as a part of the residual current circuit breaker.
Kelly discloses a circuit breaker (1, Figures 1-2) comprising a power supply (2, Figures 1-2) and standby power supply (comprising 6, 7, 10, Figures 1-2) providing power to a load (comprising 8, Figures 1-2), wherein, the standby power supply is located inside the circuit breaker as a part of the circuit breaker (6, 7 inside 3, Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the standby power supply in the residual current circuit breaker of Weinstein, inside the residual current circuit breaker as taught by Mori, such that the output power from the power supply can be used to charge the standby power supply and all the circuitry of the standby power supply can be in securely and safely placed in one location.
Regarding Claim 4, combination of Weinstein and Kelly discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 3, wherein, the standby power supply is provided by a voltage converter (part of 6, 10, Figure 1, Paragraph 84, “…The battery charging circuit 6 may comprise an AC/DC converter or a DC/DC converter”, Paragraph 75), and an input terminal of the voltage converter is connected to an incoming terminal of the residual current circuit breaker to convert a voltage of the power supply into a voltage higher than the lowest value of the voltage required for the load to operate and lower than the highest value of the safe voltage, and the second switch is connected between an output terminal of the voltage converter and the load (Figure 1, Paragraph 75, “….the emergency driver is configured such that it can be selectively operated as a buck converter or as a boost converter, depending on relative magnitudes of an output voltage of the at least one battery and an operating voltage of the light emitting means”).
Regarding Claim 5, combination of Weinstein and Kelly discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 4, wherein, the voltage converter performs conversion based on a trigger signal for triggering the voltage converter to perform the conversion (trigger signal received upon connection/switching on of the power supply 2, voltage converter 6, 11 in Figure 1 of Kelly performs conversion in the combination).
Regarding Claim 20, combination of Weinstein and Kelly discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 4, wherein the voltage converter performs conversion upon being powered on (upon connection/switching on of the power supply 2, voltage converter 6, 11 in Figure 1 of Kelly performs conversion in the combination).
Claims 7, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weinstein (US 5,939,799) in view of Mori (US 2023/0411991).
Regarding Claim 7, Weinstein does not specifically disclose the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 1, wherein, the first switch and the second switch are solid-state switches.
Mori discloses a current circuit breaker (Figures 1-6C), comprising:
a first switch (comprising 151, Figure 1), connected in series between a power supply of the residual current circuit breaker and a load (151 connected between power supply 300 and load comprising 410-460, Figure 1);
a second switch (comprising 152, Figure 1), connected in series between a standby power supply and the load (152 connected between a standby power supply 120, 110 and load comprising 410-460, Figure 1); and a control means (comprising 140, Figures 1-3C, 240, Figures 4-6C), configured to control to open the first switch and close the second switch (Figures 3B, 3C, 6B, 6C), wherein at least one of the first switch and the second switch is non-contact switch (Paragraph 29, “…the relays 151 to 156, an exciting mechanical relay, a semiconductor relay using a field-effect transistor (MOSFET), or the like can be used”). 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 residual current circuit breaker of Weinstein, non-contact/solid state switches as the first switch and second switch as taught by Mori, as non-contact/solid state switches have the advantages such as high reliability, a reduction in size, high-speed switching, low power consumption, a noise reduction, a long lifetime over a mechanical relay.
Regarding Claim 19, combination of Weinstein and Mori discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 7, wherein the non-contact switch is a solid-state switch (Mori, Paragraph 29, “…the relays 151 to 156, an exciting mechanical relay, a semiconductor relay using a field-effect transistor (MOSFET), or the like can be used”).
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weinstein (US 5,939,799) in view of Tikkanen et al. (US 2017/0359874).
Regarding Claim 9, Weinstein does not specifically disclose the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 8, wherein, the load includes a plurality of illuminating devices and a plurality of drivers for driving each of the plurality of illuminating devices, respectively.
Tikkanen discloses a system (Figure 3) comprising a power supply (comprising 42, 60, Figure 3), a load (comprising 52, 56, Figure 3); wherein, the load includes a plurality of illuminating devices and a plurality of drivers for driving each of the plurality of illuminating devices, respectively (plurality of OLED/LED load 56 and plurality of output current driver 52 to drive the plurality of illuminating devices 56, Figure 3).
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 system of Weinstein, a plurality of illuminating devices as load and a plurality of drivers as taught by Tikkanen, such as plurality of lighting devices/light emitting devices can be safely and efficiently operated by the drivers, in the system of Weinstein having standby power supply for uninterrupted operation.
Regarding Claim 10, combination of Weinstein and Tikkanen discloses the system according to Claim 9, wherein, each of the plurality of drivers provides the corresponding illuminating device with a driving power enabling the illuminating device to illuminate with a lowest illuminance, when detecting that a voltage supplied to it is lower than a predetermined voltage threshold, and the predetermined voltage threshold is a highest value of the voltage of the standby power supply (each of OLED/LED load 56 having corresponding driver 52 providing driving power, Figure 3 of Tikkanen in the combination).
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weinstein (US 5,939,799) in view of Coley et al. (US 3,959,693).
Regarding Claim 11, Weinstein discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 1, wherein the control means comprises: a sensor configured to measure a phase current (current sensor comprising 123, 121, Figure 1). Weinstein does not specifically disclose the current sensor configured to measure a neutral current also.
Coley discloses a residual current circuit breaker (20, Figure 1) comprising a control means (comprising 16, 10, 30, Figure 1) configured to control a switch (18, Figure 1) based on a residual current of a main loop exceeding a predetermined threshold (16 trip the switch 18 based on residual current detected by 10 exceeding a threshold, Figure 1, Column 3, lines 26-48), wherein the control means comprises: a sensor configured to measure a phase current and a neutral current (10 having phase line L and neutral line N as primary windings, Figure 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select the current sensor in the system of Weinstein, as a current transformer as taught by Coley, as the current transformers have the advantage of high accuracy, sensitivity and reliability.
Regarding Claim 12, combination of Weinstein and Coley discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 11, wherein the control means detects the residual current based on a vector sum of the phase current and the neutral current being equal to zero (Column 3, lines 26-48, 58-63).
Regarding Claim 13, combination of Weinstein and Coley discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 11, wherein the control means detects the residual current based on a magnitude difference between the phase current and the neutral current exceeding the predetermined threshold (10 is a differential transformer, Figure 1, Abstract, Column 3, lines 26-48).
Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weinstein (US 5,939,799) in view of Matsumoto (US 2024/0326598).
Regarding Claim 16, Weinstein does not specifically disclose the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 1, wherein the control means comprises: a storage means configured to store information related to at least one of the residual current being detected or a switching of one of the first switch or the second switch; and a communication means configured to transmit the information stored in the storage means to an external device.
Matsumoto discloses a residual current circuit breaker (Figures 1-11) comprising: control means (comprising 3, Figures 1-4) wherein the control means comprises: a storage means (comprising 31, Figures 1-4, Paragraph 40) configured to store information related to at least one of the residual current being detected or a switching information (output voltage sensor 51 in main current path 110 and 52 in standby power current path to controller 31, Figures 1-4, Paragraphs 47); and a communication means configured to transmit the information stored in the storage means to an external device (two-way communication means between 3 and external device 100, Figures 1-4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the control means in the system of Weinstein, a storage means and a communications means to transmit information to an external device as taught by Matsumoto such that diagnostic information can be stored when a failure occur and transmit the diagnostic information to notify the user (see Matsumoto, Paragraph 47).
Regarding Claim 17, combination of Weinstein and Matsumoto discloses the residual current circuit breaker according to Claim 16, wherein the external device includes a computing device operated by maintenance personnel (user who maintains control of the autonomous driving vehicle upon failure/ground fault in the main power supply, on the power supply control device 1 is mounted, Paragraph 69, Paragraph 27).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 9/12/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive and/or rendered moot in view of new grounds of rejection (Claim 1 is rejected using newly applied Weinstein reference under 35 U.S.C. 102; argued upon primary reference Xu and Zhang are not relied upon in the current office action).
Applicant’s arguments, on Pages 8-9 of the Remarks toward secondary reference Mori and rejection of Claims 3-5 are rendered moot as the reference is not relied for the rejection of Claims 3-5 in the current rejection.
Regarding Applicant’s arguments toward Mori reference, Examiner respectfully notes that the reference is relied upon for the rejection of Claim 7 and new claim 19, for the teaching of non-contact/solid-state switches in a circuit breaker, not for argued upon limitations of Claim 1 or the argued upon combination of references.
Regarding Applicant’s arguments, on Page 10 of the Remarks, toward secondary reference Tikkanen, Examiner respectfully notes that the reference is relied upon for the teaching of a plurality of illuminating devices and a plurality of drivers for driving each of the plurality of illuminating devices as load in a system, not for argued upon limitations of Claim 1 or the argued upon combination of references.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Shibachi (US 2017/0297433) discloses a residual current circuit breaker, comprising: a first switch (comprising SW1), connected in series between a power supply of the residual current circuit breaker and a load (SW1 connected between power supply comprising 3,6 and load 4); a second switch (comprising SW2), connected in series between a standby power supply and the load (SW2 connected between a standby power supply comprising 5,6 and load 4); and a control means (comprising 13, 15), configured to control to open the first switch and close the second switch in response to residual current of a main loop of the residual current circuit breaker exceeding a predetermined threshold (SW1 open, SW2 closed); Lontka (US 8,159,361) discloses a residual current circuit breaker (Figures 1-5), comprising: a first switch (comprising 506, Figure 5), connected in series between a power supply of the residual current circuit breaker and a load (506 connected between power supply 502 and load 512, Figure 5); a second switch (comprising 508, Figure 5), connected in series between a standby power supply and the load (508 connected between a standby power supply 504 and load 512); and a control means (comprising circuitry providing control signal 506, 508, Figure 5); Ross et al. (US 9,081,568) discloses a system (Figure 3 for example) comprising dual power source (primary power 106, secondary power 108) and ATS switch (comprising 210), and leakage current detection (part of 238, Column 11, 44-54).
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, 1/30/2026 /CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838