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
Claims 3 and 13 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 3 and 13 similarly refer to “type-c plug.” However, parent claims 2 and 12, respectively, capitalize the “C,” to the effect of referring to a “type-C plug.” The discrepancy should be remedied, ideally by capitalizing the “c” in “type-c plug” of claims 3 and 13, to be in accordance with claims 2 and 12. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 5, 6, 11, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Torem (US 10,778,020).
Regarding claims 1, 2, 11, and 12, Torem teaches a multiport portable power bank (title) having at least a main first battery (abstract). Torem teaches that a Type-C input/output port 34 is useable with a charging cord 36 (col. 4, lines 46-50 and Figs. 3-4), thus constituting a charging cord extendable outside the cover assembly and foldable for storage on the cover assembly. The claimed “top” is considered arbitrary insomuch as the claim requires all features designated at/around the “top” to essentially mean the same end, regardless of orientation. In this regard, the connection port into the power bank of Torem is considered to be the relative “top,” as corresponding to instant claims. While Torem does not expressly teach the use of a circuit board, they are conventionally known in the art and thus their use is considered prima facie obvious, as one of ordinary skill would have been motivated to include a battery management unit, for example, as a safety feature capable of preventing any number of commonly known adverse events. The placement of such a circuit board is considered to be an obvious matter of design choice, including at the relative “top” of the unit cover and adjacent the charging plug, where the particular placement is not so importance as the fact that it must be placed in a location that will enable electrical connection to the desired components to be monitored as well as a location that will prevent clearly undesired damage to the part. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the claimed invention to ensure that the circuit board is electrically connected to both the cathode and anode of the battery in order to effectively monitor the operational characteristics of said battery. Of further note, since port 34 is both an input and output port and it may actively be involved in both the charging and discharging of the battery cell(s) if connected to an external power source or load, respectively, it would be valuable for a battery management unit to be electrically connected to said port.
Further regarding claim 11, while Torem does not expressly disclose a cylindrical battery cell, such cylindrical cells are conventionally known in the art and thus their use is considered to be prima facie obvious. Electrode wound cells, such as in a jelly-roll configuration, would exhibit the claimed positive end and a negative end around the positive end. One of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the claimed invention would have been able to combine the features taught by Torem and relied upon herein with a cylindrical battery cell. Placement of the components would be an obvious matter of design choice to accommodate a cylindrically shaped housing and cover.
Regarding claims 5 and 6, Torem teaches that various other modular elements may be provided having different configurations and functions that may be connected interchangeably with the first main element, such as a wireless charging pad (col. 2, lines 60-63). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize a conventionally known wireless charging coil, including a magnetic suction type wireless charging coil, as well as connecting the wireless charging coil to the battery management unit. The placement of a wireless charging logo upon the top surface of the cover is considered to be an obvious matter of design choice, as the only technical function is to show the user where the magnetic charging portion is located upon the power bank if not also to comply with international/regional standards.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 7-10, and 13-17 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 (noting that claims 3 and 13 are subject to the abovementioned Objection).
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Torem, as relied upon above, is considered to represent the closest related prior art to the claimed invention. Regarding claim 3, while Torem is considered to show a foldable and flexible wire as part of the charging plug, Torem fails to teach or suggest that the flexible wire has a ring-shaped central portion, two branching arms extending from the central portion to both sides, the type-C plug being provided on one of the two branching arms, the top cover assembly having a tab overlaid with the ring-shaped central portion of the flexible wire and two slots for holding the branching arms, the central area of the tab having a central hole. Regarding claim 13, while Torem is considered to show a foldable and flexible wire as part of the charging plug, Torem fails to teach or suggest that the flexible wire has a ring-shaped central portion, two branching arms extending from the central portion to both sides, the type-C plug being provided on one of the two branching arms.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COLIN W SLIFKA whose telephone number is (571)270-5830. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ching-Yiu (Coris) Fung can be reached at 571-270-5713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Colin W. Slifka/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1732
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