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 .
Examiner’s Comments
This office action is in response to the application filed on 6/26/2024.
Claims 1-16 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR
1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/26/2024 is in
compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-11 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
anticipated by Stampfl et al. (US 9756,402) hereinafter (Stampfl).
With regard to claim 1, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device (104) comprising: a grip (204) configured to be gripped by a user of the battery-powered device; a trigger (212) configured to be manually moved by the user; a battery pack (a battery pack col. 5, line 31) including a first battery including a positive electrode and a negative electrode (undesignated), a positive electrode connection terminal electrically coupled to the positive electrode, a negative electrode connection terminal electrically coupled to the negative electrode (270), a first battery signal terminal (275), a second battery signal terminal (275), and a battery communication terminal (not shown), a battery port configured to detachably attach the battery pack thereto (as known in the art); a motor (214) configured to receive a first electric power of the first battery from the battery pack (a battery pack col. 5, line 31) to thereby rotate; a chuck sleeve (210) configured (i) to be driven by the motor (214) and (ii) to detachably attach a tool bit thereto; a controller (226) configured to control the motor (214); and a terminal block (270) including a machine positive electrode terminal (275) configured to be coupled to the positive electrode connection terminal, a machine negative electrode terminal configured to be coupled to the negative electrode connection terminal, a first machine signal terminal configured to be coupled to the first battery signal terminal, a second machine signal terminal configured to be coupled to the second battery signal terminal, a machine communication terminal configured to be coupled to the battery communication terminal (as known in the art), a holding body holding (206) the machine positive electrode terminal, the machine negative electrode terminal, the first machine signal terminal, the second machine signal terminal, and the machine communication terminal, a battery holder (206 see fig.12A)(i) in the holding body and (ii) configured to removably hold a second battery (324), and a wireless communicator (323) (i) on the holding body (206), (ii) configured to receive a second electric power (324) from the second battery and (iii) configured to wirelessly communicate with an external system (108) distinct from the battery-powered device (104).
With regard to claim 2, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device comprising: a battery port (207, 209) configured to detachably attach a battery pack thereto, the battery pack (a battery pack col. 5, line 31) including a first battery and two or more battery-side terminals (see figs. 5&12B); an electric load (as known in the art) configured to receive a first electric power of the first battery from the battery pack to thereby operate; a controller (226) configured to control the electric load; and a terminal block (as seen in fig.5 &12B) including two or more machine-side terminals configured (i) to be coupled to the two or more battery-side terminals, respectively, and (ii) to receive the first electric power through the two or more battery-side terminals, based on the battery pack (a battery pack col. 5, line 31) being attached to the battery port, a battery holder (fig.5) configured to removably hold a second battery, and a wireless communicator configured (i) to receive second electric power from the second battery and (ii) to perform a wireless communication (see Abstract).
With regard to claim 3, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device, wherein the terminal block (see fig.5) further includes a holding body (206) (i) holding the two or more machine-side terminals (275) and (ii) including a first surface and a second surface corresponding to a front surface and a back surface of the holding body, the second surface (as seen in fig.12E) (i) being configured to face the battery pack based on the battery pack being attached to the battery port (206), and (ii) including a terminal arrangement area in which the two or more machine-side terminals are arranged (see figs. 5, 12A&12B).
With regard to claim 4, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device, wherein the battery holder (as seen in fig.12E) is on the second surface.
With regard to claim 5, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device, wherein the second surface includes a holder arrangement area distinct from the terminal arrangement area, and wherein the battery holder is in the holder arrangement area (see fig. 12E).
With regard to claim 6, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device, wherein the battery port (206) is configured to attach the battery pack thereto by sliding the battery pack in a first direction on the battery port, and wherein the battery holder is spaced apart from the two or more battery-side terminals in the first direction in a pack attached state and the pack attached state corresponds to a state where the battery pack is attached to the battery port (see figs. 12A, 12B, 12E).
With regard to claim 7, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device, wherein the wireless communicator (323) is spaced apart from the battery holder.
With regard to claim 8, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device, wherein the wireless communicator (323) is on the first surface.
With regard to claim 9, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device, wherein the terminal block further includes a cover (332) configured to cover the battery holder (as seen in fig.12E).
With regard to claim 10, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device, wherein the cover (332) is configured to be fixed to the terminal block by a screw (333).
With regard to claim 11, Stampfl discloses a battery-powered device, wherein the terminal block (fig.12E) further includes a cover (332) receiving surface configured to face the cover, and a sealing member (undesignated but present)(i) on the cover (332) or on the cover receiving surface and (ii) configured to be in close contact with both the cover and the cover receiving surface based on the battery holder (as seen in fig.12E) being covered by the cover, thereby sealing the battery holder together with the cover.
With regard to claim 15, Stampfl discloses a method for installing a wireless communicator (323) in a battery-powered device (104), the method comprising: providing the wireless communicator (323) to a terminal block, the terminal block including a machine-side terminal configured to be coupled to a battery-side terminal of a battery pack, and the battery pack being configured to be detachably coupled to the battery-powered device; and providing the terminal block equipped with the wireless communicator to the battery-powered device (see Abstract).
With regard to claim 16, Stampfl discloses a method, further including: providing a battery holder (see fig.12E) to the terminal block, the battery holder being configured to removably hold a second battery (324) that is distinct from the battery pack, and the wireless communicator (323) being configured to receive an electric power from the second battery (324) to thereby operate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-14 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:
With respect to claim 12, the prior art of record fails to disclose or teach in combination, wherein the wireless communicator is configured to: forcibly set the battery-powered device to an inoperable state based on having received first information via the wireless communication, the inoperable state corresponding to a state where the electric load cannot operate; and cancel the inoperable state based on (i) the battery-powered device being in the inoperable state and (ii) having received second information via the wireless communication.
Conclusion
Refer to attachment for notice of references cited and recommended for
consideration based on their disclosure of limitations of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANIEL C. CHUKWURAH whose telephone number is (571)272-4457. The examiner can normally be reached M-F & T-F 7-4:30 IFP.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at 571-260-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHANIEL C CHUKWURAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731
9/2/2026
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