The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-26 are presented for examination
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21-26 are allowed because none of the prior arts of record taken singly or in combination fail to teach, anticipate, suggest, or render obvious the foregoing limitations.
Claims 7-8, 10-13, 17, and 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.
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 1-6, 9, 14-16 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bamba (US Patent Application 20100048068).
As per claim 1, Bamba teaches a low energy system [system shown in figure 4] for waking a powered device [3, fig. 1] of a marine vessel [1, fig. 1] to from a sleep state to a wake state, the low energy system comprising [0092, as pointed out and shown in figures 1 and 4, the motor can be waked up from sleep state by sending signals from the immobilizer 10 to relays 71, power relays 70 and switching circuit 72]:
a communication network [50 and 56, fig. 3] configured for communicating a signal for waking the powered device [0073, 0105, as pointed out the computer 56 and communication network 56 both are used together to send a signal to start the motors. For example, the start notification is sent to the start notification line 74 and the start command is sent to the start signal line 19C. The computer 50 of the immobilizer 10 thus turns on all the power supply relays 70. In the central outboard motor 3C, corresponding to the start switch 81C, the outboard motor ECU 30 supplies electricity to the starter 32 and performs the fuel supply control and the ignition control to start the engine 31].
a controller [10, fig. 4] electrically coupled to and distinct from the powered device, the controller having a low-power sleep state and a wake state [0092, the controller is in seep state to conserve power. For example, the immobilizer 10 is in a sleep mode, which is a power saving mode. In this mode, both the start relays 71 and the power supply relays 70 are off and all switching circuits 72 are in the off state. All of the outboard motor ECUs 30 are thus in the power-off state and the system power supply for the inboard LAN 20 is also in the off state].
wherein the controller is configured to receive the signal within the communication network [0073, 0105 as pointed out, the function of the controller which includes computer 50 is to send and acquire signals. For example, a function of the computer 50 as the communication unit 56 is to send various signals to the inboard LAN 20 and acquire various signals from the inboard LAN 20].
and wherein the controller is configured to wake from the sleep state thereof and to wake the powered device from the sleep state thereof when the signal is received, wherein the controller being in the sleep state thereof before the signal is received conserves power for the marine vessel [0093, 0095 as pointed out the immobilizer 10 is sleep state where it can then wakeup to send signals to power up the motor. For example, the user authentication state from "locked" to "unlocked," the immobilizer 10 turns on all the start relays 71 and further turns on all the power supply relays 70. The power supplies of all outboard motors 3 are thereby turned on and all of the gauges 9 are put in the on state].
As per claim 18, Bamba teaches a method [methods shown fig. 7-8] for conserving power managing a powered device on a marine vessel, the powered device having a sleep state and a wake state, the method comprising 0092, as pointed out and shown in figures 1 and 4, the motor can be waked up from sleep state by sending signals from the immobilizer 10 to relays 71, power relays 70 and switching circuit 72]:
receiving via a controller a signal for waking the powered device distinct therefrom from the sleep state thereof, wherein the signal is received via a communication network [0073, 0092, the controller is in seep state to conserve power. For example, the immobilizer 10 is in a sleep mode, which is a power saving mode. In this mode, both the start relays 71 and the power supply relays 70 are off and all switching circuits 72 are in the off state. All of the outboard motor ECUs 30 are thus in the power-off state and the system power supply for the inboard LAN 20 is also in the off state]
waking the controller from a low-power sleep state thereof when the signal is received [0092, the controller receive a signals then can be switched from sleep mode to wake up. For example, the computer 50 of the immobilizer 10 executes the authentication process on the received user authentication code (function as the user authentication unit 51), and if the authentication succeeds, the operation mode is switched from the sleep mode to the wakeup mode, which is the ordinary mode].
waking the powered device via the controller when the controller is woken, wherein the controller being in the sleep state thereof before the signal is received conserves power for the marine vessel [0092, 0095, as pointed out the controller is in sleep mode where it can be wakeup to power the motors. For example, the user authentication state from "locked" to "unlocked," the immobilizer 10 turns on all the start relays 71 and further turns on all the power supply relays 70. The power supplies of all outboard motors 3 are thereby turned on and all of the gauges 9 are put in the on state].
Asp er claim 2, Bamba teaches the communication network includes a CAN bus [0052, for example, an inboard LAN (local area network) 20 is constructed inside the hull 2. Specifically, the outboard motors 3, the immobilizer 10, and the gauges 9 are connected to the inboard LAN 20 and enabled to send and receive data and control signals].
As per claim 3, Bamba teaches, the powered device includes a marine drive operable to generate propulsion for the marine vessel [as shown in figure 1, 3 marine drive motors 3P, 3C, and 3S that power boat 1].
As pe claim 4, Bamba teaches, wherein the controller is a first controller, wherein the marine vessel further comprises a second controller configured to wirelessly communicate with a wireless key [0046, 0066 the receiver 49 and computer 50 can be part of a second controller that controls key unit 11].
to determine whether the wireless key meets predetermined criteria, and to generate the signal when the wireless key meets the predetermined criteria, wherein the signal generated when the wireless key meets the predetermined criteria causes the powered device to wake from the sleep state thereof [0068, 0070, where the authentication is performed based on the received signal that enable the power of the onboard motors].
As per claim 5, Bamba teaches, wherein the powered device includes a marine drive as shown in figure 1, 3 marine drive motors 3P, 3C, and 3S that power boat 1].
As per claim 6. Bamba teaches, the powered device is a first powered device, and wherein the second controller is configured to wake a second powered device from a sleep state thereof [0051, each remote controller send signals to onboard motor to wakeup or activate specific onboard mother that connects to the controller].
As per claim 9, Bamba teaches the controller is configured to consume less than 0.1 Watt in the sleep state thereof [0092, controller in sleep mode to save power].
As per claim 14, Bamba teaches, the signal is provided as 12 VDC [0050, power is provided to the controller by the 12-volt battery].
As per claim 15, Bamba teaches, the powered device is one of a plurality of powered devices, and wherein the signal being communicated via the communication network causes all of the plurality of powered devices to be woken from the sleep states thereof [0070, authentication signal enables all the motors to be activated].
As per claim 16, Bamba teaches the controller is configured to be woken via each of receiving the signal via CAN bus, receiving the signal as 12 VDC, and a button electrically coupled to the controller other than through the communication network [50, 0092, controller is in sleep mode and powered via the battery].
As per claim 19, Bamba teaches the controller is a first controller, further comprises via a second controller wirelessly communicating with a wireless key, determining whether the wireless key meets predetermined criteria, and generating the signal when the wireless key meets the predetermined criteria to thereby cause the powered device to wake [0068, 0070, where the authentication is performed based on the received signal that enable the power of the onboard motors].
Conclusion
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/VOLVICK DEROSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2176
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