GROUND CONTACT UNIT

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 . 1. Acknowledgement is made to the preliminary amendment, filed 11/3/2023. Claims 16-19 have been newly added. Claims 1-19 are pending. Priority 2. The instant application is a 372 of PCT/EP2022/061867, filed 5/3/2022. Acknowledgement is made to Applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file. Information Disclosure Statement 3. Acknowledgement is made to the information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/4/2023. The information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. 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. 4. Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gϋnther et al. (DE 10 2018 112 472 A1), hereinafter Gϋnther, the examiner referencing and citing the specification and figures of US 2021/0122256 A1, the English counterpart to Gϋnther. Regarding claim 1, Gϋnther discloses a ground contact unit (12 – ground contact unit) for a vehicle battery charging system for an automatic conductive connection to a vehicle contact unit (14 – vehicle contact unit), wherein the ground contact unit has a plate-shaped base body (16 – plate-shaped body), at least one potential layer (24 – potential layers 24.1, 24.2, 24.3), and a plurality of contact areas (20 – contact areas) which are arranged on an exposed charging surface (18 – charging surface) of the base body against which the vehicle contact unit can come into contact, and which are assigned to the at least one potential layer, wherein at least one protective assembly (interpreted as a combination of various components including, but not limited to, charging contactor, protective conductor, protective resistors, protective diodes, switching units, and control unit) is assigned to the contact areas of the at least one potential layer, wherein the at least one protective assembly has a current measuring unit provided in a current path for current measurement and a switch which is arranged in the current path and is controlled, among others, depending on a result of the current measuring unit [0044-0050, 0088, 0092, 0093, 0124-0129, 0163-0165, & 0215-0218]. Regarding claim 2, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of contact areas is assigned to exactly one potential layer, wherein the contact areas assigned to the exactly one potential layer are assigned to only one protective assembly [0029-0032]. Regarding claim 3, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the protective assembly is set up to recognize a short circuit, an impending overcurrent and/or an overcurrent, wherein the protective assembly is set up to control the switch into its open position when the short circuit, the impending overcurrent and/or the overcurrent has been detected [0161-0165, 0215-0218, 0240, & 0241]. Regarding claim 4, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the protective assembly is set up to detect a current curve and determine characteristics of the detected current curve [0161-0165, 0215-0218, 0240, & 0241]. Regarding claim 5, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the protective assembly is set up to perform an evaluation of edges and/or of a level of a detected current curve and/or to recognize an occurring arc [0161-0165, 0215-0218, 0240, & 0241]. Regarding claim 6, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the protective assembly comprises an operational amplifier circuit and/or a comparator and a shunt resistor and/or a Hall-effect sensor [0126-0128 & 0170-0173]. Regarding claim 7, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the switch is a power semiconductor [0219-0226]. Regarding claim 8, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one protective assembly is set up to determine a differential current [0163-0165 & 0215-0218]. Regarding claim 9, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the ground contact unit has at least one additional switching unit, wherein the at least one additional switching unit is coupled to at least one of the contact areas such that the additional switching unit is adapted to electrically connect and disconnect the a corresponding at least one contact area to/from the at least one potential layer assigned to the contact area, so that there is a galvanic isolation in an interrupted state [0044-0050, 0088-0091, 0163-0165 & 0215-0218]. Regarding claim 10, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 9, wherein only one additional switching unit is provided per potential layer [0086-0095]. Regarding claim 11, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 9, wherein the at least one protective assembly is assigned to a plurality of additional switching units, wherein each contact area has its own additional switching unit assigned thereto [0044-0050, 0088, 0092, 0093, & 0124-0129]. Regarding claim 12, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 9, wherein a trigger circuit is provided which is set up to drive the at least one additional switching unit [0220-0226]. Regarding claim 13, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein a surge protection device is provided which is arranged upstream of the protective assembly [0085-0088 & 0126-0129]. Regarding claim 14, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 13, wherein an additional switching unit is arranged between the surge protection device and the protective assembly [0085-0088 & 0126-0129]. Regarding claim 15, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 13, wherein the surge protection device has a diagnostic contact via which the surge protection device is connected in a signal-transmitting manner to a control and/or evaluation unit [0085-0088 & 0126-0129]. Regarding claim 16, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 14, wherein the surge protection device has a diagnostic contact via which the surge protection device is connected in a signal-transmitting manner to a control and/or evaluation unit [0085-0088 & 0126-0129]. Regarding claim 17, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 7, wherein the power semiconductor is a MOSFET, a triac or an IGBT [0219-0226]. Regarding claim 18, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 9, wherein the at least one additional switching unit is a relay [0090-0097 & 0220-0226]. Regarding claim 19, Gϋnther discloses the ground contact unit according to claim 14, wherein the additional switching unit is a main contactor [0090-0097 & 0220-0226]. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAULTEP SAVUSDIPHOL whose telephone number is (571)270-1301. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F,7-3 EST. If the examiner cannot be reached by telephone, he can be reached through the following email address: paultep.savusdiphol@uspto.gov 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 and email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas K. Pham can be reached on (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. /PAULTEP SAVUSDIPHOL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876