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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 11/26/2025 fails to comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, 1.98 and MPEP § 609 because the appropriate fee has not been paid. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered as to the merits. Applicant is advised that the date of any re-submission of any item of information contained in this information disclosure statement or the submission of any missing element(s) will be the date of submission for purposes of determining compliance with the requirements based on the time of filing the statement, including all certification requirements for statements under 37 CFR 1.97(e). See MPEP § 609.05(a).
Election/Restrictions
Claims 2 and 3 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected claims, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/12/2025.
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 following details must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
“Main power loop” must be labeled as such in the FIGURES as it is the crux of the invention and to support means for claim construction.
“First parallel bypass module” also must be labeled as such as it is the crux of the invention and to support means for claim construction.
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 INTERPRETATION
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
Claim limitation(s):
Main power loop;
First parallel bypass module.
have been interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because they use a generic placeholder coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to achieve the function. Furthermore, the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
Since the claim(s) limitations invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, the claim(s) have been interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification that achieves the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
However, the written description fails to clearly disclose the corresponding structure, material, or acts for the claimed function.
The “main power loop” is best understood to comprise SCR1, SCR2 and switches K1, however is not labeled as such. Proper labeling is required.
The “first parallel bypass module” is best understood as the dashed box around the rectifier etc. in FIGURE 3 however is not labeled as such. Proper labeling is required.
Applicant may:
(a) Amend the claim so that the claim limitation will no longer be interpreted as a limitation under 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph; or
(b) Amend the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites what structure, material, or acts perform the claimed function without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)).
If applicant is of the opinion that the written description of the specification already implicitly or inherently discloses the corresponding structure, material, or acts so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize what structure, material, or acts perform the claimed function, applicant should clarify the record by either:
(a) Amending the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function and clearly links or associates the structure, material, or acts to the claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(b) Stating on the record what the corresponding structure, material, or acts, which are implicitly or inherently set forth in the written description of the specification, perform the claimed function. For more information, see 37 CFR 1.75(d) and MPEP §§ 608.01(o) and 2181.
If applicant wishes to provide further explanation or dispute the examiner’s interpretation of the corresponding structure, applicant must identify the corresponding structure with reference to the specification by page and line number, and to the drawing, if any, by reference characters in response to this Office action.
If applicant does not intend to have the claim limitation(s) treated under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112 , sixth paragraph, applicant may amend the claim(s) so that it/they will clearly not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, or present a sufficient showing that the claim recites/recite sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function to preclude application of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
For more information, see MPEP § 2173 et seq. and Supplementary Examination Guidelines for Determining Compliance With 35 U.S.C. 112 and for Treatment of Related Issues in Patent Applications, 76 FR 7162, 7167 (Feb. 9, 2011).
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 1, 4-12 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.
Regarding Claims 1 and 12
The claim limitation “configured to be connected” is unclear as to what structure is intended to be added since said “configuration” structure is not set forth. The claim will be examined as best under stood as actually and physically “connected to”.
The claim limitation “a first parallel bypass module” is unclear for several reasons. First, it is a means for claim term however has not been clearly identified in the FIGURE (see drawing objection above). Second, it is unclear whether the claim erm “parallel” is intended to be nominal or whether indeed an electrical parallel connection is intended. If so, the claim fails to identify what other component is in “parallel”. To add to the confusion of the claim limitation is that parallel connection is a specific electrical connection in the art wherein voltage across parallel connections is the same and current divides. As such, the “parallel” connection of the presumed “first parallel bypass module” (not labeled in the FIGURE, see drawing objection above) is in “parallel” with the first and second power supplies (S1 and S2, see FIGURE 3) via the transfer switch K2. Therefore the claim will be examined as best understood as such.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 12 would be allowable is re-written to overcome the 112 rejections as provided below:
1. A system of a fast transfer switch, comprising:
a main power loop configured to transfer between the at least two power supplies, and output an alternating current signal;
a first parallel bypass module connected in parallel to the main power loop via a transfer switch and configured to output an alternating current signal, the first parallel bypass module including an independent power supply;
the main controller is configured to, in response to detecting the abnormality of a first power supply of the at least two power supplies, adjust the alternating current signal output by the first parallel bypass module during the transfer of the main power loop between the at least two power supplies, so as to transfer from the first power supply outputting the alternating current signal via the main power loop to a second power supply of the at least two power supplies outputting the alternating current signal via the main power loop.
12. A method for operating a system of a fast transfer switch the system comprising:
a main power loop configured to transfer between the at least two power supplies, and output an alternating current signal;
a first parallel bypass module connected in parallel to the main power loop via a transfer switch and configured to output an alternating current signal, the first parallel bypass module including an independent power supply;
the main controller is configured to, in response to detecting the abnormality of a first power supply of the at least two power supplies, adjust the alternating current signal output by the first parallel bypass module during the transfer of the main power loop between the at least two power supplies, so as to transfer from the first power supply outputting the alternating current signal via the main power loop to a second power supply of the at least two power supplies outputting the alternating current signal via the main power loop.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL CAVALLARI whose telephone number is (571)272-8541. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 0900-18:30.
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 are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rexford Barnie can be reached at (571)272-7492. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL CAVALLARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836