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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5 & 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Woo US20230019077 (hereinafter referred to as Woo).
In regards to claim 1, Woo teaches a charging device (electricity charging device 100; [Fig. 2]) comprising: a charger (second electrode 150b; [Fig. 2]) on which an object (mask; [Fig. 6]) is placed (implicit; [Fig. 6]); and an output circuit (power supply unit 140, conversion circuit unit 130, & control unit 120; [Fig. 4 & 5]) structured to boost a voltage (converts a voltage… into a high voltage; [0033]) and output an output voltage (high voltage; [0033] & [Fig. 5]), wherein the charger charges the placed object in a state of being charged by the output voltage outputted from the output circuit (recharging static electricity to an electrostatic mask; [0033]).
In regards to claim 2, Woo teaches the charging device according to claim 1, further comprising a support (the walls of lower housing 110b; [Fig. 2]) structured to support the charger in midair (implicit; [Fig. 2]), wherein the support is disposed to transmit the output voltage outputted from the output circuit to the charger (implicit, the wiring shown by the dotted lines runs along the side walls between the power supply unit 140 and the DC-DC conversion unit; [Fig. 3]).
In regards to claim 3, Woo teaches the charging device according to claim 2, further comprising an insulator (dielectric plate 160a; [Fig. 2]) disposed between a ground plane (electrode 150a; [Fig. 2]) of the charging device and the charger, while being separated from the charger (implicit; [Fig. 2]).
In regards to claim 4, Woo teaches wherein the charger includes an insulating plate (dielectric body 160b; [Fig. 2]) to be charged by the output voltage outputted from the output circuit (Dielectric body B is downstream of the high voltage electrode B; [Fig. 5]).
In regards to claim 5, Woo teaches wherein the charger further includes a metallic plate (hexagon plate of second electrode 150b; [Fig. 4]) (Examiner’s Note: An electrode is commonly made of a metallic material in order to operate properly.) disposed so as to be in contact with the insulating plate (implicit of 150b & 160b laid together; [Fig. 4]).
In regards to claim 7, Woo teaches the charging device according to claim 1, further comprising a lid portion (upper housing portion 110a; [Fig. 2]) structured to push the object to the charger (implicit; [Fig. 6]) in a state where the object is placed on the charger (implicit; [Fig. 6]), while avoiding coming into contact with the charger (The mask does not come into direct contact with the electrode 150b because the dielectric body 160b covers the electrode; [Fig. 4 & 6]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woo US20230019077 (hereinafter referred to as Woo) in view of Hulsey et al., US5982644 (hereinafter referred to as Hulsey).
In regards to claim 6, Woo does not teach wherein the output circuit includes a transformer structured to transform an input voltage, and a booster circuit structured to boost an input voltage transformed by the transformer.
Hulsey teaches wherein the output circuit (boost circuit 12; [Fig. 2]) (power supply unit 140, conversion circuit unit 130, & control unit 120, Woo) includes a transformer (transformer T1; [Fig. 2]) structured to transform an input voltage (input voltage V_IN; [Fig. 2]), and a booster circuit (boost circuit 12 except for transformer T1; [Fig. 2]) structured to boost an input voltage transformed by the transformer (implicit; [Fig. 2]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Woo in order to incorporate wherein the output circuit includes a transformer structured to transform an input voltage, and a booster circuit structured to boost an input voltage transformed by the transformer as taught by Hulsey. The motivation for doing so would be to use an existing boost technology for high voltage boost converters.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woo US20230019077 (hereinafter referred to as Woo) in view of Fang et al., CN212771555 (hereinafter referred to as Fang).
In regards to claim 8, Woo teaches the charging device according to claim 1, further comprising a grounding unit (first electrode 150a; [Fig. 2]), wherein the charger charges the object in a state where the object is disposed between the grounding unit and the charger (implicit because the mask is in-between both electrodes; [Fig. 6]).
Woo does not teach the grounding unit connected to a ground.
Fang teaches the grounding unit (metal plate; [Pg. 5, Para. 3]) (first electrode 150 a, Woo) connected to a ground (directly grounded; [Pg. 5, Para. 3]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Woo in order to incorporate the grounding unit connected to a ground as taught by Fang. The motivation for doing so would be to have the recharging device operate at a safe, consistent voltage and not operate with a floating voltage.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. CN212067258U is another relevant reference for a 102 of claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMANTHA L FAUBERT whose telephone number is (703)756-1311. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM.
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SAMANTHA LYNETTE FAUBERT
Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838