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)(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 1-2 and 7-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kato US publication no.: US 2015/0042254 A1.
The applied reference has a common asignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Regarding claims 1 and 17, Kato teaches, An electric work machine comprising: a motor (motor 9, figure 2) configured to drive a driven tool attached to the electric work machine; a drive circuit (switching circuit 12, figure 2) configured to drive the motor; and a control circuit (control circuit 20, figure 2) including: a physical quantity obtainer (electric current variation detection portion 21, figure 2) configured to obtain a physical quantity every time a detection timing arrives, the physical quantity being related to an operating state of the motor (see paragraph 56 where the electric current variation detection portion 21 detects “current” flowing to the motor), a variation obtainer (electric current variation detection portion 21, figure 2) configured to obtain a variation every time the detection timing arrives, the variation corresponding to an increased amount of the physical quantity from that obtained at the detection timing of last time to that obtained at the detection timing of this time (as further explained in paragraph 56, variation of the current is also calculated), a sum calculator (see sum calculator, paragraphs 18-23) configured to calculate a sum value every time the detection timing arrives, the sum value corresponding to a sum of one or more variations, each of the one or more variations corresponding to the variation obtained at the corresponding detection timing during a first period (see paragraphs 18-23, where the sum calculator disclosed summing up each variation values), and the first period being from a first calculation start timing to the detection timing of this time (see figure 3), and a drive controller (soft no-load detection portion 22 and PWM generation portion 25) configured to control the motor in accordance with a first control system via the drive circuit based on the sum value calculated by the sum calculator having satisfied or satisfying a no-load detection requirement, the no-load detection requirement being required to detect no application of a load to the motor (see paragraphs 60-62, where is explained that the no-load or loaded condition is determined based on the summed variation values).
Regarding claim 2, Kato teaches, the electric work machine according to claim 1, further comprising at least one switch (trigger switch 15, figure 2) configured to be manually operated by a user of the electric work machine, wherein the control circuit further includes a target setter configured to set a desired rotational speed of the motor based on a state of the at least one switch (see paragraph 61 where the desired speed is set), and the drive controller is configured to control the motor in accordance with a second control system based on the sum value not satisfying the no-load detection requirement, and the second control system (i) being different from the first control system, and (ii) including controlling the motor so as to rotate the motor at the desired rotational speed set by the target setter (see figures 3-4 and paragraphs 81-106where the loaded condition is described in which the motor shifts from the un-loaded to the loaded condition) .
Regarding claim 7, Kato teaches, the electric work machine according to claim 1, wherein the sum calculator is configured to, in the first period, accumulate the variation every time the detection timing arrives to thereby calculate the sum value (see paragraphs 18-23).
Regarding claim 8, Kato teaches, the electric work machine according to claim 2, wherein the sum calculator is configured to, in the first period, accumulate the variation every time the detection timing arrives to thereby calculate the sum value, and the sum calculator is configured to reset the sum value currently calculated based on (i) the at least one switch being manually operated and (ii) to thereby the desired rotational speed being changed (see figure 5a where the steps are disclosed for the sum variations and “clear” flag is in place when the speed condition is met)
Regarding claim 9, The electric work machine according to claim 2, wherein the at least one switch includes a first switch, and the target setter is configured to change the desired rotational speed based on a position of the first switch (see paragraph 62).
Regarding claim 10, The electric work machine according to claim 9, wherein the at least one switch includes a second switch (see paragraphs 122-123; where a dial switch is disclosed), and the target setter is configured to change the desired rotational speed with a maximum rotational speed as an upper limit, and the maximum rotational speed is determined based on a position of the second switch.
Regarding claim 11, The electric work machine according to claim 1, wherein the no-load detection requirement is satisfied based on the sum value calculated by the sum calculator having a predetermined magnitude, and the predetermined magnitude corresponds to a magnitude less than or equal to a predetermined threshold (see paragraph 18-23 and figure 5b, where when it is greater than a threshold, it is determined to be in a loaded state and therefore less than a threshold corresponds to an un-loaded state).
Regarding claim 12, The electric work machine according to claim 1, wherein the no-load detection requirement is satisfied based on the sum value calculated by the sum calculator having a predetermined magnitude, and the predetermined magnitude corresponds to a magnitude greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold (see figure 5b).
Regarding claim 13, The electric work machine according to claim 11, wherein the no-load detection requirement is satisfied based on the sum value calculated by the sum calculator continuing to maintain the predetermined magnitude for a determination time(see s330; figure 5b.
Regarding claim 14, The electric work machine according to claim 1, wherein the first control system includes rotating the motor at a first rotational speed, and the first rotational speed is constant (see paragraph 67).
Regarding claim 15, The electric work machine according to claim 2, wherein the first control system includes rotating the motor at a first rotational speed, and the first rotational speed is (i) constant and (ii) lower than the desired rotational speed (see paragraph 67).
Regarding claim 16, The electric work machine according to claim 1, wherein the physical quantity includes an electric current flowing through the motor (see figure 2; where “current” corresponds to the physical quantity).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZOHEB S IMTIAZ whose telephone number is (571)272-4308. The examiner can normally be reached 11am-730pm.
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/ZOHEB S IMTIAZ/Primary Examiner , Art Unit 2837
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