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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 4-6 and 8 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.
It is unclear what applicant means by “reversely locked” recited in claim 4.
There is a lack of antecedent basis for “the power source terminal” recited in claim 6.
There is a lack of antecedent basis for “the power source terminal” recited in claim 8.
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 reverse locking 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.
Claim(s) 1 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamamoto (U.S. Patent No. 4814813). Yamamoto teaches a control circuit comprising: a central processing chip (MC) configured to receive a power-on signal (any signal which triggers an input is a power on signal. Alternatively, if the signal to an input is “high” it can be interpreted as a power on signal); a master control chip (AC) communicatively connected with the central processing chip (see fig. 3, line running from MC to AC); a power system on/off circuit (EO1, NO1, or Resistor R connected to p8) with a first end connected to the central processing chip (see fig. 3); and a keypad circuit (any of switches on left side of fig. 3 [i.e. So, S1, S2/S]) comprising a first end (VD) connected to the central processing chip and a second end (switch(es)) connected to a second end of the power system on/off circuit, the keypad circuit configured to send the power-on signal to the power system on/off circuit. The language “to supply power to the central processing chip and the master control chip, thereby enabling the master control chip to send angle information to a motor drive control circuit” is considered an intended use and is not being given patentable weight.
Regarding claim 4, the power system on/off circuit (EO1) includes a third end connected to the central processing chip (via No1 to ito), such that when the central processing chip is powered on, the power system on/off circuit is reversely locked through the third end of the power system on/off circuit. The language “ensuring that the central processing chip and the master control chip of the handwheel control circuit are in the powered-on state” is considered an intended use and not being given patentable weight.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Satou (U.S. Patent No. 5164758). Satou teaches a control circuit, comprising: a central processing chip (52) configured to receive a power-on signal (from 54, see fig. 6); a master control chip (51) communicatively connected with the central processing chip; a power system on/off circuit (54) with a first end connected to the central processing chip (see fig. 6); and a keypad circuit (13 and 53) comprising a first end connected to the central processing chip (via ground, see fig. 6) and a second end connected to a second end of the power system on/off circuit, the keypad circuit configured to send the power-on signal to the power system on/off circuit to supply power to the central processing chip and the master control chip (col. 5, lines 56-62 “Numeral 53 designates a battery, 54 a regulator which applies a voltage to a Vcc terminal to continuously activate the sub-CPU 52 while the main switch 13 is actuated and 55 a regulator which applies a voltage to the main CPU 51 in response to a control signal from the sub-CPU 52 to actuate the main CPU 51 when necessary.”), thereby enabling the master control chip to send angle information to a motor drive control circuit. The italicized claim language is considered an intended use and is not being given patentable weight. The applicant should note that since/when the master control chip has power, it can send angle information to a motor drive control circuit if configured to do so.
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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto (U.S. Patent No. 4814813) in view of Sun (CN 213122556). Yamamoto teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for a magnetic encoder circuit connected with the master control chip, configured to receive angle information of a rotation of a handwheel and convert the angle information into an electrical signal. Sun teaches in figures 7-9, 11 and 13-14 as well as the specification (page 3 of the translation, “the non-contact sensor is a magnetic encoder, compared with the Hall sensor, the magnetic encoder can directly output angle value, namely directly output rotating angle of the shifting wheel, which is good for simplifying the electronic control program of the camera”) that it was known to use a magnetic encoder to communicate angle information of a rotation of a handwheel and convert the angle information into an electrical signal. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the features of Sun for the purpose of simplifying the electronic control program of the camera.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto (U.S. Patent No. 4814813) in view of Sun (CN 213122556) and further in view of Hashiguchi (U.S. Publication No. 2016/0173755). Yamamoto as modified teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for a wireless module transmission circuit comprising a first end communicatively connected to the master control chip and a second end configured to amplify the electrical signal and transmit the electrical signal to the motor drive control circuit via an RF antenna. Hashiguchi teaches in paragraph 33 that it was known to use a wireless module transmission circuit comprising a first end communicatively connected to the master control chip and a second end configured to amplify the electrical signal (inherent) and transmit the electrical signal to the motor drive control circuit via an RF antenna.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Satou (U.S. Patent No. 5164758) in view of Sun (CN 213122556). Satou teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for a magnetic encoder circuit connected with the master control chip, configured to receive angle information of a rotation of a handwheel and convert the angle information into an electrical signal. Sun teaches in figures 7-9, 11 and 13-14 as well as the specification (page 3 of the translation, “the non-contact sensor is a magnetic encoder, compared with the Hall sensor, the magnetic encoder can directly output angle value, namely directly output rotating angle of the shifting wheel, which is good for simplifying the electronic control program of the camera”) that it was known to use a magnetic encoder to communicate angle information of a rotation of a handwheel and convert the angle information into an electrical signal. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the features of Sun for the purpose of simplifying the electronic control program of the camera.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Satou (U.S. Patent No. 5164758) in view of Sun (CN 213122556) and further in view of Hashiguchi (U.S. Publication No. 2016/0173755). Satou as modified teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for a wireless module transmission circuit comprising a first end communicatively connected to the master control chip and a second end configured to amplify the electrical signal and transmit the electrical signal to the motor drive control circuit via an RF antenna. Hashiguchi teaches in paragraph 33 that it was known to use a wireless module transmission circuit comprising a first end communicatively connected to the master control chip and a second end configured to amplify the electrical signal (inherent) and transmit the electrical signal to the motor drive control circuit via an RF antenna
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 6-11 are 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tang (U.S. Publication No. 2024/0080539) teaches both a magnetic encoder on a wheel and a wireless focus control signal for a focusing motor. Thayer (U.S. Publication No. 2015/0131983) teaches in paragraph 27 and figs. 3-4 that it was known to send instructions from a controller to a motor remotely via RF signal.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER E MAHONEY whose telephone number is (571)272-2122. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30.
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/CHRISTOPHER E MAHONEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852