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
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 1-2 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu (US 5,539,165).
Regarding claim 1, Wu (figures 2, 4) teaches a connection device (6) for a control unit (electric lock 1-5) for a vehicle (automobile), the connection device (6) comprising at least one power input interface (connected to 621-651) for connecting the connection device (6) to a power source (B/C) and at least one power output interface (connected to 62-65) for connecting the connection device (6) to the control unit (1-5), wherein the connection device (6) comprises three power input interfaces (connected to 621-651) and four power output interfaces (connected to 62-65) for connecting a power source (B/C) with three power output connections (connected to 621-651) to a control unit (1-5) comprising four power input connections (connected to 62-65), each power input interface (connected to 621-651) being electrically connected to at least one power output interface (connected to 62-65).
As for claim 2, Wu teaches wherein the four power output interfaces (connected to 62-65) are divided into two pairs of power output interfaces (62/63 and 64/65) for connecting two control elements (portions of lock 1-5 connected to wires 62-65) of the control unit (1-5) to the power source (B/C).
As for claim 9, Wu teaches a control circuit (figures 2 and 4) comprising a control unit (1-5) with four power input connections (at 62-65), a power source (B/C) with three power output connections (621-651) and a connection device (6) according to claim 1 for connecting the power source (B/C) with the control unit (1-5).
Regarding claim 10, Wu teaches a vehicle (automobile) comprising a connection device (6) according to claim 1 or a control circuit (figures 2 and 4) comprising a control unit (1-5) with four power input connections (at 62-65), a power source (B/C) with three power output connections (621-651) and a connection device (6) according to claim 1 for connecting the power source (B/C) with the control unit (1-5).
Regarding claim 11, Wu teaches a connection device (6) according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a commercial vehicle (The vehicle of Wu is a toy automobile. Toy automobiles are commercially available. Col. 2, lines 57-58.).
Claims 1-3 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kiuchi (CN 103444046).
Regarding claim 1, Kiuchi (figure 4) teaches a connection device (R1, R2, 101, 102) for a control unit (100) for a vehicle (para. [0048]), the connection device (R1, R2, 101, 102) comprising at least one power input interface (at left terminals of Rf1, Rf2, Rf3) for connecting the connection device (R1, R2, 101, 102) to a power source (EM1) and at least one power output interface (at V1-V3, VB1-VB2) for connecting the connection device (R1, R2, 101, 102) to the control unit (100), wherein the connection device (R1, R2, 101, 102) comprises three power input interfaces (at left terminals of Rf1, Rf2, Rf3) and four power output interfaces (at V1-V3, VB1-VB2) for connecting a power source (EM1) with three power output connections (at left terminals of Rf1, Rf2, Rf3) to a control unit (100) comprising four power input connections (at V1-V3, VB1-VB2), each power input interface (at left terminals of Rf1, Rf2, Rf3) being electrically connected to at least one power output interface (at V1-V3, VB1-VB2).
As for claim 2, Kiuchi teaches wherein the four power output interfaces (at V1-V3, VB1-VB2) are divided into two pairs of power output interfaces (at V1/VB1, V2/VB2) for connecting two control elements (SWa_1/SWc_1, SWa_2/SWc_2) of the control unit (100) to the power source (EM1).
As for claim 3, Kiuchi teaches wherein the connection device (R1, R2, 101, 102) comprises a first power input interface (at Rf1) for connecting a first terminal (upper terminal of EC1) of a first power source unit (EC1) and a second power input interface (at Rf3) for connecting a second terminal (lower terminal of EC2) of a second power source unit (EC2) and a third power input interface (Rf2) for connecting a second terminal (lower terminal of EC1) of the first power source unit (EC1) and a first terminal (upper terminal of EC2) of the second power source unit (EC2) with the control unit (100).
Regarding claim 9, Kiuchi teaches a control circuit (figure 4) comprising a control unit (100) with four power input connections (V1-V3, VB1-VB2), a power source (EM1) with three power output connections (at terminals of EM1) and a connection device (R1, R2, 101, 102) according to claim 1 for connecting the power source (EM1) with the control unit (100).
As for claim 10, Kiuchi teaches a vehicle (electric vehicle) comprising a connection device (R1, R2, 101, 102) according to claim 1 or a control circuit (figure 4) comprising a control unit (100) with four power input connections (V1-V3, VB1-VB2), a power source (EM1) with three power output connections (at terminals EM1) and a connection device (R1, R2, 101, 102) according to claim 1 for connecting the power source (EM1) with the control unit (100).
Regarding claim 11, Kiuchi teaches a connection device (R1, R2, 101, 102) according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a commercial vehicle (Electric vehicles are commercially available.).
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 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kiuchi.
Regarding claim 12, Kiuchi teaches a connection device according to claim 3, as detailed above, but fails to teach wherein the first power source unit is a first 12 V battery unit and the second power source unit is a second 12 V battery unit.
However, it is well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art to utilize 12 V battery units in a vehicle to power vehicular loads.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the battery units of Kiuchi as 12 V battery units because such a modification would have been utilizing well-known vehicular battery unit sizes.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 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 best prior art references of record, Wu and Kiuchi, fail to teach:
“wherein the connection device is adapted to connect the first terminal of the first power source unit to a first port of a first control element and a first port of a second control element and adapted to connect the second terminal of the second power source unit to a second port of the first control element and a second port of the second control element and adapted to connect the second terminal of the first power source unit to the second port of the first control element and the second port of the second control element and the first terminal of the second power source unit to the first port of the first control element and the first port of the second control element.”, as set forth in claim 4;
“wherein the connection device comprises at least two modules, wherein a first module is adapted to connect the three power output connections of a power source to two power input connections of a first control element of a control unit and wherein a second module is adapted to connect the three power output connections of a power source to two power input connections of a second control element of a control unit.”, as set forth in claim 5; and
“wherein the connection device comprises at least one current control unit in each power input interface and/or power output interface adapted to control the flow of electrical current from the power source to the control unit through the current control unit.”, as set forth in claim 6.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/LEVI GANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2849 December 6, 2025