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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 7-10, and 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Siragusa (US 2022/0320874, cited by the applicant).
Re claim 1: Siragusa teaches a power tool (10) comprising a housing; a motor (28) supported by the housing; a battery pack interface such as B+ and B- terminals configured to receive a battery pack (20); a switch (226) configured to control current provided from the battery pack interface to the motor; and a solid-state protection circuit (300) including a shunt register (304) serving as a current measurement device configured to determine a level of current supplied to the switch, and output a first signal related to the level of current supplied to the switch, and a gate driver (310) electrically connected to the switch, the gate driver configured to receive a control signal to disable the switch in response to the first signal indicating that the level of current supplied to the switch exceeds a current threshold (see figs. 1-2; paragraphs 0020-0031).
Re claim 2: Wherein the solid-state protection circuit (300) further includes a controller (308) configured to: receive the first signal from the current measurement device; determine, based on the first signal, whether the level of current supplied to the switch exceeds the current threshold (paragraph 0028); measure a duration of time that the level of current supplied to the switch exceeds the current threshold; determine whether the duration of time exceeds a time limit; and generate, in response to determining that the duration of time exceeds the time limit, the control signal to disable the switch (paragraphs 0010, 0013).
Re claim 7: Wherein the current measurement device is configured to determine the level of current supplied to the switch by measuring a voltage drop across the switch (i.e., the shunt register is well-known to measure current).
Re claim 8: Wherein the solid-state protection circuit (300) further includes the shunt resistor (304) having a sense resistor connected in series with the switch; and the current measurement device is configured to determine the level of current supplied to the switch by measuring a voltage drop across the sense resistor (paragraph 0027).
Re claim 9: Siragusa teaches a method for controlling a power tool having a motor (28), a battery pack interface such as B+ and B- terminals and a switch (226) configured to control current provided from the battery pack interface to the motor, the method comprising determining, with a shunt register (304) serving as a current measurement device, a level of current supplied to the switch; outputting, with the current measurement device, a first signal related to the level of current supplied to the switch; and receiving, with a gate driver (310) electrically connected to the switch, a control signal to disable the switch in response to the first signal indicating that the level of current supplied to the switch exceeds a current threshold (see figs. 1-2; paragraphs 0020-0031).
Re claim 10: The method further comprising receiving, with a controller (308), the first signal from the current measurement device; determining, with the controller based on the first signal, whether the level of current supplied to the switch exceeds the current threshold (paragraph 0028); measuring, with the controller, a duration of time that the level of current supplied to the switch exceeds the current threshold; determining, with the controller, whether the duration of time exceeds a time limit; and generating, with the controller in response to determining that the duration of time exceeds the time limit, the control signal to disable the switch (paragraphs 0010, 0013).
Re claim 15: Wherein determining the level of current supplied to the switch includes measuring a voltage drop across the switch (i.e., the shunt register is well-known to measure current).
Re claim 16: Wherein determining the level of current supplied to the switch includes measuring a voltage drop across the shunt resistor (304) serving as a sense resistor connected in series with the switch (paragraph 0027).
Re claim 17: Siragusa teaches a power tool comprising a motor (28); a power input interface such as B+ and B- terminals electrically connectable to a power source; a switch (226) arranged on a current path between the power input interface and the motor; and a solid-state protection circuit (300) including a shunt register (304) serving as a current measurement device configured to determine a level of current on the current path, and output a first signal related to the level of current on the current path, and a gate driver (310) electrically connected to the switch, the gate driver configured to receive a control signal to disable the switch in response to the first signal indicating that the level of current on the current path exceeds a current threshold (see figs. 1-2; paragraphs 0020-0031).
Re claim 18: Wherein the solid-state protection circuit further includes a controller (308) configured to: receive the first signal from the current measurement device; determine, based on the first signal, whether the level of current on the current path exceeds the current threshold (paragraph 0028); measure a duration of time that the level of current supplied to the switch exceeds the current threshold; determine whether the duration of time exceeds a time limit; and generate, in response to determining that the duration of time exceeds the time limit, the control signal to disable the switch (paragraphs 0010, 0013).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6, 11-14, and 19-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
None of prior art teaches the power tool comprising the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the level of current supplied to the switch exceeds a particular one of a plurality of current thresholds; and determine the time limit based on the particular one of the plurality of current thresholds that the current supplied to the switch exceeds, wherein the solid-state protection circuit further includes: a resistive-capacitive circuit configured to receive the first signal related to the level of current supplied to the switch; and a comparator configured to: receive, from the resistive-capacitive circuit, a second signal related to a voltage output of the resistive-capacitive circuit, receive a third signal related to a voltage threshold, and generate the control signal in response to the second signal being greater than the third signal, the method further comprising receiving, with a resistive-capacitive circuit electrically connected to the current measurement device, the first signal related to the level of current supplied to the switch; receiving, with a comparator electrically connected to the resistive-capacitive circuit and the gate driver, a second signal related to a voltage output of the resistive-capacitive circuit; receiving, with the comparator, a third signal related to a voltage threshold; and generating, with the comparator, the control signal in response to the second signal being greater than the third signal as set forth in the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ichikawa et al. (US 2013/0082627) and Panetta et al. (US 2022/0001525) teach power tools having power controls.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEUNG H LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-2401. The examiner can normally be reached 7-4:00PM.
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/SEUNG H LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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