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 .
The information disclosure statements filed on 12/25/2025, 12/27/2024 and 12/1/2024 have been entered. Claims 2-3, 12-13, and 21-26 have been cancelled. Claims 1, 4-11 and 14-20 are presented for examination.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 4, 9-11, 14, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Marty et al. (Marty et al. – 2011/0057603; herein after referred to as “Marty”; cited by applicant).
Regarding claim 1 and 11, Marty discloses a charger for determining time information for use in controlling charging of a power tool battery pack, the charger comprising:
a battery pack interface configured to receive a power tool battery pack and provide charging current to the power tool battery pack (Marty; Fig. 1, 4; par. 0011, 0013, 0029; smart battery charger 100, charging port 110, opening 190 into which battery packaging 194);
an input configured to receive a set of data; a controller coupled to the input, the controller configured to analyze the set of data to determine time information; At step 430, an optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery is determined from the usage history. The optimal time is a time when the battery is likely to be next used minus a period of time required to complete the charge cycle. As illustrated previously in FIG. 2, if the next use cycle is to begin at about 5 o'clock and the charge cycle takes an hour to complete, then the optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery would be roughly 4 o'clock. In one embodiment, a time buffer may be used to ensure that the charge cycle is completed in time for the next use cycle to begin. The buffer is illustrated by about a two-hour time period in FIG. 2. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to including a buffer. In one embodiment, the usage history is evaluated by a machine-learning algorithm that determines the optimal time.”; step 450 – initiate the charge cycle for the battery at the optimal time to the optimal charge; step 460 – generate an updated usage history for the battery);
a real time clock configured to set a time using the time information and to maintain the time; and an internal battery coupled to the real time clock (Marty; Fig. 1, 3, 4; par. 0011, 0013, 0029; smart battery charger 100, charging port 110, opening 190 into which battery packaging 194; par. 0024 – user input the identification bar code of the battery; par. 0028 – retrieve usage history (step 420) for controller to determine from the usage history ab optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery (step 430), 0029 – “At step 430, an optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery is determined from the usage history. The optimal time is a time when the battery is likely to be next used minus a period of time required to complete the charge cycle. As illustrated previously in FIG. 2, if the next use cycle is to begin at about 5 o'clock and the charge cycle takes an hour to complete, then the optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery would be roughly 4 o'clock. In one embodiment, a time buffer may be used to ensure that the charge cycle is completed in time for the next use cycle to begin. The buffer is illustrated by about a two-hour time period in FIG. 2. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to including a buffer. In one embodiment, the usage history is evaluated by a machine-learning algorithm that determines the optimal time.”; step 450 – initiate the charge cycle for the battery at the optimal time to the optimal charge; step 460 – generate an updated usage history for the battery; inherently indicates the use of an internal real time clock),
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Marty discloses the charger according to claim 1 connected the power tool battery pack (Marty; par. 0013, 0034 – charging plug not shown in Fig. 1)
Regarding claim 9, Marty discloses the charger according to claim 1, wherein input is a user interface configured to receive the set of data from a user (Marty; Fig. 1, 3, 4; par. 0011, 0013, 0029; smart battery charger 100, charging port 110, opening 190 into which battery packaging 194; par. 0024 – user input the identification bar code of the battery; par. 0028 – retrieve usage history (step 420) for controller to determine from the usage history ab optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery (step 430), 0029 – “At step 430, an optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery is determined from the usage history. The optimal time is a time when the battery is likely to be next used minus a period of time required to complete the charge cycle. As illustrated previously in FIG. 2, if the next use cycle is to begin at about 5 o'clock and the charge cycle takes an hour to complete, then the optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery would be roughly 4 o'clock. In one embodiment, a time buffer may be used to ensure that the charge cycle is completed in time for the next use cycle to begin. The buffer is illustrated by about a two-hour time period in FIG. 2. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to including a buffer. In one embodiment, the usage history is evaluated by a machine-learning algorithm that determines the optimal time.”; step 450 – initiate the charge cycle for the battery at the optimal time to the optimal charge; step 460 – generate an updated usage history for the battery; inherently indicates the use of an internal real time clock).
Regarding claim 10, Marty discloses the charger according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:control charging of the power tool battery pack based on the time information (Marty; Fig. 1, 3, 4; par. 0011, 0013, 0029; smart battery charger 100, charging port 110, opening 190 into which battery packaging 194; par. 0024 – user input the identification bar code of the battery; par. 0028 – retrieve usage history (step 420) for controller to determine from the usage history ab optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery (step 430), 0029 – “At step 430, an optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery is determined from the usage history. The optimal time is a time when the battery is likely to be next used minus a period of time required to complete the charge cycle. As illustrated previously in FIG. 2, if the next use cycle is to begin at about 5 o'clock and the charge cycle takes an hour to complete, then the optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery would be roughly 4 o'clock. In one embodiment, a time buffer may be used to ensure that the charge cycle is completed in time for the next use cycle to begin. The buffer is illustrated by about a two-hour time period in FIG. 2. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to including a buffer. In one embodiment, the usage history is evaluated by a machine-learning algorithm that determines the optimal time.”; step 450 – initiate the charge cycle for the battery at the optimal time to the optimal charge; step 460 – generate an updated usage history for the battery; inherently indicates the use of an internal real time clock).
Regarding claim 19, Marty discloses the method according to claim 11, wherein input is a user interface and wherein receiving the set of data by the input includes receiving, by the user interface, the set of data from a user (Marty; Fig. 1, 3, 4; par. 0011, 0013, 0029; smart battery charger 100, charging port 110, opening 190 into which battery packaging 194; par. 0024 – user input the identification bar code of the battery; par. 0028 – retrieve usage history (step 420) for controller to determine from the usage history ab optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery (step 430), 0029 – “At step 430, an optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery is determined from the usage history. The optimal time is a time when the battery is likely to be next used minus a period of time required to complete the charge cycle. As illustrated previously in FIG. 2, if the next use cycle is to begin at about 5 o'clock and the charge cycle takes an hour to complete, then the optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery would be roughly 4 o'clock. In one embodiment, a time buffer may be used to ensure that the charge cycle is completed in time for the next use cycle to begin. The buffer is illustrated by about a two-hour time period in FIG. 2. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to including a buffer. In one embodiment, the usage history is evaluated by a machine-learning algorithm that determines the optimal time.”; step 450 – initiate the charge cycle for the battery at the optimal time to the optimal charge; step 460 – generate an updated usage history for the battery; inherently indicates the use of an internal real time clock).
Regarding claim 20, Marty discloses the method according to claim 11, further comprising:controlling, by the controller, charging of the power tool battery pack based on the time information (Marty; Fig. 1, 3, 4; par. 0011, 0013, 0029; smart battery charger 100, charging port 110, opening 190 into which battery packaging 194; par. 0024 – user input the identification bar code of the battery; par. 0028 – retrieve usage history (step 420) for controller to determine from the usage history ab optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery (step 430), 0029 – “At step 430, an optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery is determined from the usage history. The optimal time is a time when the battery is likely to be next used minus a period of time required to complete the charge cycle. As illustrated previously in FIG. 2, if the next use cycle is to begin at about 5 o'clock and the charge cycle takes an hour to complete, then the optimal time to initiate a charge cycle on the battery would be roughly 4 o'clock. In one embodiment, a time buffer may be used to ensure that the charge cycle is completed in time for the next use cycle to begin. The buffer is illustrated by about a two-hour time period in FIG. 2. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to including a buffer. In one embodiment, the usage history is evaluated by a machine-learning algorithm that determines the optimal time.”; step 450 – initiate the charge cycle for the battery at the optimal time to the optimal charge; step 460 – generate an updated usage history for the battery; inherently indicates the use of an internal real time clock).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8, and 15-18 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: The prior art fails to disclose:
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to disclose:
i. the charger according to claim 1, wherein the input is a communication system configured to receive the set of data from an external time source as recited in claims 5 and 15. Claims 6-8 and 16-18 depend on claims 5 and 15 respectively.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THIEN MINH LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2396. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30-5:00 PM M-Th..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Paik can be reached at 571-272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
