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 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 1-5, 7 and 9-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Matsumoto et al. (US 1004/0121979), hereinafter Matsumoto.
As to claims 1 and 20, Matsumoto discloses in figure 1, a power source device [power source unit (1); ¶0025] comprising:
a plurality of holding units [case unit (6); see ¶0029 and figure 4] each of which attachably/detachably holds a battery [see figure 4]; and a power control unit that selects [control section (3); ¶0027] , on a basis of a state of each of a plurality of batteries held by the plurality of holding units [see ¶0036], a power supply battery to be used for power supply [¶0033, the power source device being configured such that another battery that has not been selected as the power supply battery is attachable/detachable to/from the holding unit while power supply by the power supply battery is maintained [see ¶0041-0042]
As to claim 2, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein Each of the plurality of holding units is configured such that the battery is attachable/detachable by a user [see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 3, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit selects, as the power supply battery, a battery having the lowest remaining amount, among the plurality of batteries held by the plurality of holding units [see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 4, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit detects a state of each of the plurality of batteries held by the plurality of holding units
As to claim 5, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit detects at least one of a remaining amount of a battery, a decrease in the remaining amount of the battery, a temperature of the battery, or presence or absence of power supply by the battery [see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 7, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, a notification unit [display lamp (28)] that notifies a user of a state of each of the plurality of batteries held by the plurality of holding units [¶0041 and Claim 13].
As to claim 9, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit controls power supply by the selected power supply battery [see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042]..
As to claim 10, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit selects a plurality of power supply batteries and controls a speed of power supply of each of the plurality of power supply batteries [see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 11, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit controls speeds of power supply by the plurality of power supply batteries to be the same speed [see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 12, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit selects a plurality of power supply batteries and controls power supply such that remaining amounts of the plurality of power supply batteries are the same[see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 13, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit stops power supply by the power supply battery whose remaining amount is less than a predetermined threshold value[see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 14, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit selects a plurality of power supply batteries and switches, in a case where a remaining amount of each of the plurality of power supply batteries is less than a predetermined threshold value, the power supply battery to another battery whose remaining amount is larger than the predetermined threshold value [see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 15, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit selects a plurality of power supply batteries and executes, in a case where a remaining amount of each of the plurality of power supply batteries is less than a predetermined threshold value and there is no battery whose remaining amount is larger than the predetermined threshold value, power supply by the plurality of batteries held by the plurality of holding units [see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042]..
As to claim 16, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit is configured to be capable of exchanging power among the plurality of batteries held by the plurality of holding units[see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 17, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit concentrates power to one battery among the plurality of batteries held by the plurality of holding units[see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 18, Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit controls charging of each of the plurality of batteries held by the plurality of holding units [see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
As to claim 19. Matsumoto discloses in figures 1-4, wherein the power control unit restricts, in a case where the battery is held by only one holding unit among the plurality of holding units, detachment of the battery from the one holding uni t[see ¶0025, ¶0027, ¶0036 and ¶0041-0042].
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumoto in view of Viletto (US 5475626).
As to claim 6, Matsumoto discloses all of the claim limitations except, wherein the power control unit detects whether or not a battery is held for each of the plurality of holding units.
Vileto discloses in figure 1, wherein the power control unit detects whether or not a battery is held for each of the plurality of holding units [the sensor (162) detects the presence of the battery ; see Col. 4, lines 39-46].
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to use sensor device in Matusmoto’s apparatus to detected presence of battery as taught by Vileto in order to determine the presence of power supply.
As to claim 8, Matsumoto in combination with Vileto discloses, wherein the notification unit notifies a user of whether or not a battery is held for each of the plurality of holding units.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL BERHANU whose telephone number is (571)272-8430. The examiner can normally be reached M_F.
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/SAMUEL BERHANU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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