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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy of DE application 10 2021 207 466.9 has been filed on 1/12/2024.
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 at least one spring loaded pin, recited on lines 9-10 of Claim 1; a USB interface or as a lightning interface recited in Claim 6; ‘a data transmission device’ recited in claim 3; a second connection area configured to be detachably connected to an interface, recited in claim 5, 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.
The drawings are objected to because numeral 30 in figure 1 points to part of the frame; numeral 30 in figure 2 points to a cable. 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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1, line19, ‘plug interface (1010)’ should be corrected to –plug interface (101)--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: ‘at least one magnetic means’ and ‘corresponding magnetic means’ recited in Claim 1, lines 11-13.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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 1- 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.
Claim 1, lines 12-13, recites ‘corresponding magnetic means.” The recitation “corresponding” suggests that there are plural magnetic means. Clarification is requested.
Claim 1, line 16-17, recites ‘the plug interface is configured to be connected ‘energy efficiently to an energy storage device’. It is not clear, how energy efficiency is achieved by the plug interface. Claim 8 also has the same deficiency.
Claim 1, line 19-20, recites ‘wherein the plug interface is configured to be detachably connected to the first connection area’. It is not clear what is meany by this recitation. Perhaps, the recitation should be changed to ‘the connecting element is configured to be detachably connected to the first connection area.’
Claim 1, line 23, ‘the input voltage’ lacks proper antecedent basis.
Claim 3, it is not clear what is meant by “at least one of the contact surfaces is also made as a data transmission device’. How, a contact surface could be made a data transmission device?
Claim 5, it is not clear what is meant by ‘according to any of claims 1 to 4 claim 1’.
Claim 5, line 6, recites ‘a first connection area’. Since the claim 5 includes all the limitations of claim 1, and claim 1, line 9 recites ‘a first connection area’. It is not clear, if the ‘a connection area’ recited in claim 5 is in addition to ‘a first connection area’ already recited in claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by NG (US 20190106006).
Regarding Claim 1, NG discloses a plug interface (10, 100; figure 1A, 1B) for a vehicle (2) having a frame, wherein the plug interface (1010 is designed to be detachably connected to a first connection area (31) of a plug element (30) and to be integrated in a frame (103) of the micromobility vehicle (2), wherein the plug interface (101) comprises a connecting element (100) with at least one magnetic means (107) which is designed to produce a magnetic force of attraction with corresponding magnetic means (35) of the first connection area (31) of the plug element (30),characterized in that the comprising:
a plug element having (100; Figure 1B) a first connection area (face, 50) with a magnetic means (25), and at least one spring-loaded pin (105, 110); and
a connecting element (10; Figure 1A) having at least one magnetic means (25) configured to produce a magnetic force of attraction with corresponding magnetic means (25 of 10) of the first connection area (face 50 of 100) of the plug element (100), and at least one contact surface (40), configured to be contacted by the at least one spring-loaded pin (105) of the plug element (100),
whereby an energy-efficient connection can be formed, and the plug interface (10, 100) is configured to be connected energy-efficiently to an energy storage device (5) of the vehicle;
wherein the plug interface (connecting element) is configured to be detachably connected to the first connection area of a plug element (100);
wherein the plug interface is configured to be integrated in a frame (103) of the micromobility vehicle (2); and
wherein the input voltage of the plug interface (101) is up to 12 V and wherein the output voltage is up to 12 V, which can be supplied to the plug element (30) by way of the plug interface (101).
It is noted that the Claim 1, positively recites ‘a plug interface’ which comprises a plug element and a connecting element. The recitation ‘for’ and ‘configured to be’ only required the applied reference to be capable of performing such function. Therefore, ‘micromobility vehicle’, ‘a frame’ etc. are not positively recited and the applied reference of NG is capable of being used with a micromobility vehicle and could be integrated in the frame of such vehicle.
As to recitation of input voltage and output voltage, the applied reference is for a car, and is capable of being used for input/output at 12V.
Regarding Claim 4, the plug interface of NG discloses the plug interface, wherein the plug element is capable of performing at a maximum charging power of 20W, by way of the connecting element.
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, 3, and 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NG (US 20190106006) in view of Hyun-Jun et al. (US 20120295451).
As discussed above, NG discloses all the elements of Claim 1, NG however, does not disclose at least three contact surfaces, and each surface being spring loaded (claim 2); one of the contact surface is also made as data transmission device (or one of the contact surface is used for data transmission) as recited in Claim 3; a mobile terminal device with a second connection area configured to be detachably connected to an interface, as recited in Claim 5; the second connection area is made as USB interface, as recited in Claim 6; the output voltage up to 12V, as recited in Claim 7.
Hyun-Jun et al. discloses a detachable connector with a plug element (110), a connecting element (310), the plug element comprises at least three contact surfaces (111, 112, 133; fig. 1, 8); wherein the contacts 111 and 112 are power terminals and contacts 113 are communication terminals [data, 0035, claims 2, 3). Hyun-Jun et al. also discloses a second connection area (350, figure 8; claim 5), communication via USB connector for claim 6, in Paragraph [0022]. The output voltage up to 12V, as recited in Claim 7. The detachable connection type is already disclosed by NG as well as Hyun-Jun et al. that can be incorporated to make connection to the second connection area.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to provide three or more contact surfaces for the plug interface, provide a second connection area in a detachable manner, provide an USB interface, in NG’s device as taught by Hyun-Jun et al. so as to have power and data transmitted using USB port to the second connection area.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NG (US 20190106006) in view of Xue, Hong (EP 3 372,482).
Regarding Claim 8, NG discloses all the limitations of Claim 1. However, NG does not disclose the plug interface connected to the energy storage device incorporated in the frame of a micromobility vehicle. Xue, Hong, discloses a vehicle frame (fig. 1), a plug interface (figure 1, 2), a controller and battery storage (2, figure 3) incorporated into the frame of a vehicle 90021, 0025].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate plug interface and battery in the frame of the vehicle in NG as suggested by Xue, Hong, in order to properly support the plug interface and the battery.
Conclusion
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/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834