DETAILED ACTION
Notice to Applicant
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. In the Response dated 04/10/2026, claims 2, 7, and 8 have been canceled, claims 1, 3, 9, 11-13, 15, and 21-23 have been amended, and claims 1, 3-6, and 9-23 are pending.
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Arguments
4. Claim 1 is amended to include subject matter from now canceled claims 2, 7, and 8. In view of the arguments presented, it is believed claim 1 is in condition for allowance. However, independent claims 22 and 23 were not amended to incorporate the subject matter from canceled claims 2, 7, and 8 and the Response does not address the applied 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) rejections to these claims. Therefore, the rejections to claims 22 and 23 are maintained. The application is not in condition for allowance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. Claims 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada et al. (US 2020/0128883 – hereinafter “Yamada”).
Per claim 22, Yamada teaches an aerosol generation device battery verification method, the method comprising:
performing a plurality of battery voltage measurements of a battery connected to an aerosol generation device (A voltage sensor 16 is configured to perform a plurality of voltage measurements of a power supply 12 connected to a first cartridge 20 configured to generate an aerosol (Figs. 3 and 5-6; ¶34, 37, and 68));
determining whether a parameter of the battery meets a verification requirement based upon the plurality of battery voltage measurements (Based on an open circuit voltage OCV and a closed circuit voltage CCV of the power supply 12, a power supply state diagnosis unit 52 is configured to acquire an internal resistance R of the power supply 12 and determine whether the internal resistance R is less than a threshold Th1 (Fig. 11; ¶80 and 87-88)); and
setting the aerosol generation device to an operable state when the parameter meets the verification requirement, and setting the aerosol generation device to a restricted state when the parameter does not meet the verification requirement (In the case where the internal resistance R is less than the threshold Th1, a power control unit 53 performs PWM control to generate an aerosol. In the case where the internal resistance R is greater than or equal to the threshold Th1, the power supply 12 is determined to be deteriorated and a user is notified that it is required to replace the power supply 12 (Fig. 11; ¶88 and 90)).
Per claim 23, Yamada teaches a non-transitory computer-readable medium (Fig. 5; control unit 50; ¶34) storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors of an aerosol generation device battery verification system cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:
performing a plurality of battery voltage measurements of a battery connected to an aerosol generation device (A voltage sensor 16 is configured to perform a plurality of voltage measurements of a power supply 12 connected to a first cartridge 20 configured to generate an aerosol (Figs. 3 and 5-6; ¶34, 37, and 68));
determining whether a parameter of the battery meets a verification requirement based upon the plurality of battery voltage measurements (Based on an open circuit voltage OCV and a closed circuit voltage CCV of the power supply 12, a power supply state diagnosis unit 52 is configured to acquire an internal resistance R of the power supply 12 and determine whether the internal resistance R is less than a threshold Th1 (Fig. 11; ¶80 and 87-88)); and
setting the aerosol generation device to an operable state when the parameter meets the verification requirement, and setting the aerosol generation device to a restricted state when the parameter does not meet the verification requirement (In the case where the internal resistance R is less than the threshold Th1, a power control unit 53 performs PWM control to generate an aerosol. In the case where the internal resistance R is greater than or equal to the threshold Th1, the power supply 12 is determined to be deteriorated and a user is notified that it is required to replace the power supply 12 (Fig. 11; ¶88 and 90)).
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 1, 3-6, and 9-21 are deemed allowable. In particular, the inclusion of the subject matter from now canceled claims 2, 7, and 8 in independent claim 1 in view of the presented arguments is believed to place claim 1 and dependent claims 3-6 and 9-21 in condition for allowance.
Conclusion
8. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAS A. SANGHERA whose telephone number is (571)272-4787. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, alt. Fri, 8-5 EST.
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, WALTER LINDSAY can be reached at (571) 272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAS A SANGHERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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